Zayed Airport achieves Level 3 Customer Experience Accreditation

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

 

Awarded in July 2025, the Level 3 accreditation represents a major upgrade from the previous Levels 1 and 2, both of which have also been renewed.

 

It reflects the airport’s commitment to placing guests at the heart of its operations and recognises the progress made in embedding customer experience into every layer of the organisation.

 

The accreditation follows a period of sustained traffic growth, with AUH welcoming 15.5 million passengers in the first half of 2025 – a 13.2 per cent year-on-year growth, building on 28.1 per cent growth in 2024 and 44.5 per cent in 2023.

 

As passenger volumes continue their upward trajectory, the airport is scaling its customer experience strategy to meet and exceed the expectations of an expanding global traveller base.

 

Elena Sorlini, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “This recognition from ACI comes as we celebrate 17 consecutive quarters of growth, including a strong performance in the first half of 2025. As we expand connectivity to meet rising demand, we remain sharply focused on enhancing the guest experience. Achieving Level 3 accreditation reflects our ability to deliver both growth and quality, ensuring that our customer experience evolves in step with our success.”

 

To attain Level 3, Zayed International Airport introduced a series of targeted initiatives that were met with strong commendation from ACI.

 

Among these was the launch of dedicated passenger focus groups, designed to capture in-depth insights into the expectations, behaviours, and preferences of travellers.

 

Another initiative was the implementation of a guest shadowing programme, enabling employees to observe and experience the full airport journey from a passenger’s perspective – fostering a deeper understanding of traveller needs and directly informed enhancements in service delivery.

 

The airport also strengthened internal transparency through the regular publication of its Voice of the Customer reports, which are shared across departments via its internal platform.

 

In addition, Abu Dhabi Airports’ teams ensured close alignment with key stakeholders and service partners, embedding customer experience within a wider operational ecosystem. -TradeArabia News Service