September 03, 2025
ICXA 2025 Finalist Istanbul Airport Gains Level 5 ACI Customer Experience Accreditation
As Turkey continues its boom as a tourism, cultural and business centre, iGA’s Istanbul Airport becomes Europe’s first airport to achieve Level 5 Airports Council International (ACI) Customer Experience Accreditation. A milestone achieved by blending Turkish hospitality with cutting-edge technology to deliver an unmatched passenger journey.
It follows on from the likes of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, South Korea’s Incheon International Airport and Mariscal Sucre International Airport, Quito, Ecuador as the best for customer experience.
Nominated at the ICXA 2025 Awards for Best CX Strategy, Istanbul Airport achieved this status through a mix of technological innovation, cultural depth, and a deep-seated conviction that every visitor should feel completely welcomed. All achieved as a natural process, without any sense of obligation through a daily pursuit of excellence and hospitality, led from the front back office team members. An approach embedded in the culture and character of the airport operations team.
Flying A Philosophy That Begins With Hospitality
The airport achieved Level 5, the highest recognition in Airports Council International’s (ACI) Customer Experience Accreditation programme, thanks to a mentality that customer experience is the lifeblood of of the whole airport, not just one department.
The news report highlights that “Turkish hospitality is the cornerstone of iGA’s strategy. Making visitors feel valued and at ease is a source of pride and care in Turkey. This idea permeates every aspect of iGA’s operations.
Travellers receive a warm welcome, sincere kindness and personalised guidance throughout their journey as soon as they enter. A conscious, considerate culture includes even seemingly insignificant interactions, such as a smile at the security line or a kind remark from a ground agent.
This is more than just a sentimental gesture, though. That cultural ethos was incorporated by iGA into a scalable, quantifiable and organised customer experience strategy. To accommodate the various needs of the millions of passengers, every element and touchpoint has been created to exude warmth and trust.
iGA has raised the bar for airports throughout Europe and possibly beyond by fusing the friendliness of Turkey with cutting-edge equipment and methodical execution.”
Understanding The Needs of Every Passenger
One of the reasons iGA stands out is its refusal to treat passengers as a faceless crowd. The airport has made significant investments to better understand its patrons, classifying them not only by demographics but also by purpose, preferences and even mood.
Using data and behavioural research, iGA creates services that are specifically tailored to the needs of business and leisure travellers, families on holiday, single travellers and senior citizens.
The airport has made an effort to ensure that everyone feels taken care of, from flying foodies sports fans. Whether that means providing play areas for children, quiet areas for people who need to concentrate, or special assistance for travellers with disabilities. This data-supported human insight is what turns an efficient airport into one that people remember.
Looking to the Future
For iGA, achieving Level 5 marks the start of the next chapter rather than the end. To maintain momentum, the airport plans further investments in sustainability, employee development and inclusivity. In order to continue raising the bar, future projects will add by integrating new technologies, creative services and even more passenger feedback.
Istanbul’s continued positioning as a major international aviation hub is reinforced by iGA’s Level 5 accreditation. Making it abundantly evident that the airport views its patrons as guests rather than just numbers and handles them as such. Other airports such as JFK are not on their heels with new terminal designs to deliver a world-class passenger experience.
