London's Heathrow Airport and Star Alliance scooped the prestigious Airport of the Year accolade at the Air Transport World (ATW) achievement awards.
They were honoured for their collaborative work in creating the new £2.5bn Terminal 2 - The Queen's Terminal - which received a Royal opening by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in June last year. The terminal is where all Star carriers operate under the same roof offering seamless travel for passengers.
The award is one of the first bestowed on the new terminal. Andy Garner, director of airline business development at Heathrow, and Mark Schwab, Star Alliance CEO, received the award at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington DC, on February 25.
ATW editor-in-chief Karen Walker said: “London Heathrow Airport truly stood out for its exceptional project in the redesign of Terminal 2 and its demonstration of what can be achieved when airports and airlines work together.
"Heathrow and Star Alliance have produced a marvellous facility that is a win, win for its passengers in every respect."
T2 provides an improved travel experience with shorter connecting times, more self-service kiosks and a fast bag drop service offering speed and efficiency.
Eight out of 12 gates at the T2B satellite allow self-boarding, meaning passengers simply pass through a mechanical barrier to board their flight.
Three airline lounges are open for premium passengers and a fourth is due to open in the coming months.
Some of the best in British retail are housed at the terminal including John lewis, Cath Kidston and Mulberry.
Mr Garner said: “We are absolutely delighted to win this coveted award.
"This is a very valuable accolade within the airline industry and our success is the result of a strong collaboration with over 180 organisations, particularly Star Alliance, to deliver such a complex project.
"Our passengers are pleased with the result – our airport service quality scores show that if Terminal 2 was an airport in its own right we would have the best customer service scores in Europe.
"We couldn’t be more proud of what we have achieved so far and this award is a step towards fulfilling our ambition to become one of the best airports in the World.”
Mr Schwab added: “In June last year we rang in a new era for our customers, member carriers and employees at London Heathrow.
"Feedback we have received so far confirms that we offer our customers a superior travel experience, are creating new business opportunities for our member carriers and providing an improved working environment for employees.
"It is great to see our joint efforts culminate in receiving the prestigious Air Transport World Airport of the Year Award; the first time ever that this award is being given jointly to an airport and an airline alliance.”
The Star Alliance airlines serving Heathrow are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India*, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI, and United.
The 42nd ATW achievement awards will be held in Singapore in February 2016.
