The airport convinced the judges in numerous areas including customer service, safety and security, and in particular in environmental protection, social commitmentand taking responsibility for the needs of its staff. Recognition was also accorded for the exemplary protective measures taken by the airport in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The awards were presented today at the 30th ACI Europe Annual Assembly and Congress, conducted as a virtual gathering this year. Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO of Hamburg Airport, received the prize on behalf of the airport in the presence of a virtual audience consisting of leading figures from the industrial and aviation sectors. Prior to the ceremony, the independent experts of the jury had selected Europe’s best airports in four categories based on annual passenger volume: 1-5 million passengers, 5-10 million passengers, 10-25 million passengers, and more than 25 million passengers.

“It is a great honour for us, in this difficult year, to be recognised as the ‘Best Airport Europe’ for the fourth time. It fills us with confidence that we are on the right path even in the current situation. We, the airport, are more than just an economic factor for the region. It is our job to connect people all over the world. At the same time, it is important to us to be a reliable employer and neighbour. For many decades now, we have focused particularly on developing air travel and environmental protection hand-in-hand,” said Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO of Hamburg Airport.

Hamburg Airport has an established team dedicated to fulfilling the airport’s commitment to serve the local community. The activities of the Environmental Management Centre are also diverse, ranging from reducing CO2 emissions within the airport’s scope of influence to noise protection and protecting endangered species. The airport was noted for its continued work towards aviation decarbonisation. This includes the airport’s participation in the "KEROSyN100" initiative on synthetic fuel and the implementation of the "follow the greens" SESAR solution with safety and quantified environmental benefits.

Alongside the commitment to transparency inherent in the airport’s innovative engagement in environmental and community work, the airport’s dedication to its workforce was also recognised by the jury this year. Recent months have been shaped largely by the coronavirus crisis, and the airport has enabled employees to keep up to date on this important topic via numerous channels, including employee web pages, video updates and a dedicated podcast. 

The airport also won praise from the judges for its focus on passenger needs with the implementation of measures that promote a contactless and safe passenger experience.