The success of route development work and a focus on customer satisfaction and community involvement have earned Inverness Airport and its operator two awards in the ninth annual Nairn Tourism Awards.

The awards, organised by the Nairn Initiative in conjunction with The Highland Council and Inverness and Nairn Enterprise, recognise achievements in the tourism and leisure sector.

Inverness Airport was recognised for achieving the leisure industry’s benchmark Hospitality Assured accreditation and the Inverness Gateway Arts Project, which has involved communities throughout the region in creating works of art for the terminal building. Inverness, which has achieved Hospitality Assured standards for two years in a row, remains the only UK airport to have the industry commendation.

Meanwhile, HIAL received the overall Nairn District Tourism Trophy for its commitment to supporting tourism in the region through route development.

In the past year Inverness and the surrounding area has benefited from the introduction of new direct air services to London Heathrow with bmi, Birmingham with Eastern Airways, and Stockholm with Snowflake SAS.

James Walton, Inverness Airport Manager with HIAL said: “We are delighted to have been recognised in this year’s awards for both the Hospitality Assured accreditation and the Inverness Gateway Arts Project.

“A huge amount of effort on the part of everyone involved in the airport and terminal building goes into achieving Hospitality Assured and it is thanks to the focus we all place on the customer that we have achieved it two years in a row. Likewise, the Gateway Arts Project has involved many people and organisations and is part of our commitment to create a welcoming environment that promotes the region within the airport.”

Alex Johnson, HIAL’s Commercial and Marketing Manager said: “The new routes that have been successfully introduced at Inverness over the last two years have brought tens of thousands of additional passengers into the region. Many of these passengers are travelling for leisure and provide a valuable boost to the area’s tourism economy.

“Much of this success can be attributed to the close working relationships between HIAL, the local hospitality sector and the enterprise network. While we very much appreciate the recognition of the Nairn District Tourism Trophy we also hope that there will be much more to celebrate in the years ahead as Inverness continues to develop as a passenger hub with even more air links both within the UK and internationally.”

ENDS