Inverness Airport’s focus on customer service has seen it achieve one of the hospitality industry’s top accreditations for the sixth consecutive year.
Inverness was the first air terminal in the UK to achieve Hospitality Assured accreditation in 2002 after 18 months of preparatory work. The international benchmark recognises high standards of customer service in the hospitality industry.
Hospitality Assured was developed by the Hotel and Catering International Management Association (HCIMA) and is promoted in the UK in partnership with the British Hospitality Association. The airport was among the first group of businesses in the Highlands and Islands to achieve accreditation as part of a local enterprise company pilot scheme.
The airport terminal was reaccredited in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 and has just been awarded Hospitality Assured status for the sixth time.
Achieving Hospitality Assured accreditation involves all the businesses operating in the airport terminal, including HIAL, the airlines, franchise operators and partners. All these stakeholders commit to ensuring terminal users and passengers enjoy a welcoming environment and positive experience while using the facility.
Inverness Airport’s commitment to customer service delivery is ongoing and over the past 12 months has involved a wide range of activity ranging from route development and joint marketing initiatives to improving surface access with new bus services and developing new car parking and aircraft facilities.
The Hospitality Assured accreditation is particularly significant as the airport has handled higher numbers of passengers than ever before in the past year.
Inverness Airport terminal manager Callum Smith said: “Gaining Hospitality Assured status for the sixth year running is a real credit to everyone involved with the operation at Inverness. The past 12 months have been the busiest ever at the airport and it is encouraging to see that customer service standards have not slipped. This is a credit to all the parties whose hard work and professionalism contribute to the smooth running of the airport.”
Inglis Lyon, HIAL’s managing director added: “For many people coming into the region the airport at Inverness is their first point of call. We are very keen to build upon this gateway aspect to ensure their first impressions are good ones. The airport’s reputation in the industry for good customer care is something we are committed to maintaining as the airport develops in the years ahead.”
Inverness is the largest of 11 airports in Scotland operated by HIAL and handles more than 330 scheduled flights each week. It has seen passenger growth of 100% since 1999 as a result of route development and handled a record 700,000 passengers in 2006/07. The airport is on target to exceed this total in the current operating year.
RSS feed available