Brussels: ACI EUROPE has today launched the call for submissions for this year’s edition of its high-profile Best Airport Awards, setting gold standards for airport excellence and celebrating the very best of the European airport industry.

The Awards recognise outstanding achievement across the entirety of airport activities, from resilience in recovery through to innovation, and from accessibility through to environmental performance. The winners will be announced and celebrated at this year’s landmark ACI EUROPE / World Annual Congress and General Assembly in Barcelona on 27 June.

• Best Airport Awards 2023

This year, the overarching award category, that of Best European Airport, will focus on operational resilience and sustainability, both in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 recovery and in line with the airport industry-wide commitment to Net Zero CO₂ emissions by 2050.  As always, airports competing for this award will be considered in five groupings, according to 2019 passenger traffic volumes.

To recognise airports’ efforts in specific areas of their activity, the Awards portfolio also includes dedicated accolades:

• The Eco-Innovation Award

In association with Airport Carbon Accreditation, the award is presented to the airport that has demonstrated outstanding environmental performance and innovative approach to environmental management, across four main pillars: Climate Change, Noise Management, Biodiversity and Wildlife Management, and Circular Economy.

• The Digital Transformation Award

A joint initiative of ACI EUROPE and the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking, this award recognises a European airport that has embraced digitalisation, adopting innovative technologies and procedures to improve the safety, capacity, efficiency and environmental footprint of its operations.

• The Accessible Airport Award

ACI EUROPE is once more partnering with the European Disability Forum this year to identify an exemplar airport in providing accessible services to travellers and removing barriers that persons with disabilities still face when travelling by air.

• The Human Resources Excellence Award

Recognising that Human Resources management is crucial for the strategic development of an airport, this award aims to reward airport HR departments implementing first-class practices and processes to develop the industry’s workforce. Created in close partnership with the ACI EUROPE Leadership and HR Forum, this year the award focuses on sustainability, and in particular its social pillar.

This judging panel will comprise representatives from the top European and global institutions, aviation bodies and commentators.

Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE, said, “Airports are entering a new era, advancing across an interconnected spectrum of resilience, leadership, innovation, digitisation and sustainability.  This brings airport management to the next level, with the widest range of complex stakeholder engagement at the fore. Each year, our judging panel is struck afresh by the levels of achievement displayed by our industry.  I encourage all our members to enter, and allow your partners, passengers and peers to celebrate your vision.”

The deadline for submissions is 28 April 2023. 

For more information and entry details, visit this page.