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Zayed International Airport awarded Level 3 status in global customer experience program

Recognition highlights AUH’s strategic focus on service excellence as passenger traffic soars to record highs.

Zayed International Airport awarded Level 3 status in global customer experience program
[Source photo: Krishna Prasad/Fast Company Middle East]

Zayed International Airport (AUH) has achieved Level 3 accreditation in the Airports Council International (ACI) Customer Experience Accreditation programme.

The recognition, awarded in July 2025, marks a step up from the airport’s previous Level 1 and Level 2 accreditations, both of which have been renewed. It highlights the integration of guest experience into all aspects of the airport’s operations, from front-line service to strategic decision-making.

This comes during a period of strong growth for AUH. In the first half of 2025, the airport handled 15.5 million passengers, a 13.2% increase from last year. Passenger numbers rose 28.1% in 2024 and 44.5% in 2023, marking 17 consecutive quarters of growth.

“As we expand connectivity to meet rising demand, we remain sharply focused on enhancing the guest experience,” said Elena Sorlini, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports. “Achieving Level 3 accreditation reflects our ability to deliver both growth and quality, ensuring that our customer experience evolves in step with our success.”

The ACI Customer Experience Accreditation programme is the only global initiative to comprehensively assess how customer experience is embedded into airport strategy and operations. To achieve Level 3, AUH introduced a range of initiatives that drew praise from ACI, including:

Passenger focus groups to gather deeper insights into traveller expectations, behaviours, and preferences. Guest shadowing programmes, enabling staff to experience the airport journey first-hand and identify opportunities for improvement. Regular Voice of the Customer reports are shared across departments to inform service delivery and foster cross-functional collaboration.

Close alignment with stakeholders and service partners ensured that the customer experience was embedded across the broader operational ecosystem. Employees, partners, and passengers now play an active role in shaping the journey through the airport.

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