Written By : Peter Lomas. You board an Air Pacific flight and head overseas.
What are the best airports you can land at, or leave from?
Where it’s a pleasure rather than a pain?
Why are they rated like this?
What can the Government’s Airports Fiji Limited learn from them as its directors and senior management continue their current push to upgrade our own international airports?
Look no further than New Zealand.
Auckland International Airport is the regional success story, recently rated ninth best airport in the world and best in the Australia/Pacific region.
It is the only airport from the region to make the world top 10, according to the 2010 Skytrax awards voted on by 9.8 million travellers from 100 countries.
It is one of only four airports from outside Asia to make this elite Skytrax list.
Auckland was also named the “Best Airport Australia Pacific” in the closely-followed awards, organised annually by these international aviation monitors.
Why is Auckland so successful, and what can be learnt from its success?
Edward Plaisted, chairman of Skytrax, explains: “The staff service at Auckland Airport was a clear reason why this airport has performed so well this year, and continued to improve its standing within the overall survey.
“Many survey respondents commented on pleasant security and immigration staff, as well as improvements in the standard of passenger service information.”
Positive views which have helped Auckland have such a high rating include comments to Skytrax like these:
“Compared to others I have been to this place is a pleasure to visit. Staff are friendly and helpful, lots of shops and food options and not overpriced. Signage excellent and is logically laid out. Generally clean, modern and good facilities, plenty of toilets. Queues for customs and immigration short and fast. Plenty of seating at the gates.”
“I truly enjoyed this airport. Security and transit area nice.
“Everywhere I went anyone I asked help from went above and beyond. I had trouble with an International Phone Card I bought at one of the kiosks.
“The clerk took the time to close the kiosk and come and help me. The shopping was amazing and staff again nice and polite.”
A double celebration was in order for Auckland, Skytrax said. Auckland walked away with the two top awards for the Australia/Pacific region.
As well as beating off strong Australian competition to win the Best Airport Australia/Pacific trophy, Auckland also won the Staff Service Excellence category.
Skytrax World Airport Awards are described as the industry’s most extensive air traveller-based awards.
For those who fly in this part of the world, the top 5 airports for the Australia / Pacific region, according to the 2010 Skytrax awards, are:
1. Auckland
2. Brisbane
3. Sydney
4. Melbourne
5. Adelaide
The title as World’s Best Airport went to Singapore Changi Airport, named Airport of the Year 2010 .
Singapore Changi Airport also took the titles for Best Airport Leisure Amenities and Best Airport Asia.
Here’s some of the awards of relevance:

WORLD’S TOP 10 AIRPORTS
2010 2009
1 Singapore Changi Airport 3
2 Incheon International Airport 1
3 Hong Kong International Airport 2
4 Munich Airport 5
5 Kuala Lumpur International Airport 7
6 Zurich Airport 4
7 Amsterdam Schiphol Airport 8
8 Beijing Capital International Airport 17
9 Auckland Int’l Airport 10
10 Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport 16

BEST AIRPORT : ASIA
1 Singapore Changi Airport
2 Incheon International Airport
3 Hong Kong International Airport

BEST AIRPORT : INDIA
1 Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi
International Airport
2 Delhi Airport
3 Bangalore Airport

BEST AIRPORT : NORTH AMERICA
1 Vancouver Airport
2 San Francisco Airport
3 Denver Airport

BEST INTERNATIONAL TRANSIT AIRPORT
1 Incheon International Airport
2 Singapore Changi Airport
3 Munich Airport

AUSTRALIA/PACIFIC SERVICE EXCELLENCE
1 Auckland International Airport
2 Christchurch Airport
3 Melbourne Airport

ASIA: STAFF SERVICE EXCELLENCE
1 Incheon International Airport
2 Beijing Capital International
Airport
3 Kuala Lumpur International
Airport

S E ASIA: STAFF SERVICE EXCELLENCE
1 Kuala Lumpur International
Airport
2 Singapore Changi Airport
3 Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

BEST AIRPORT TERMINAL CLEANLINESS
1 Zurich Airport
2 Incheon International Airport
3 Beijing Capital International
Airport

BEST AIRPORT DINING
1 Hong Kong International Airport
2 Singapore Changi Airport
3 Munich Airport

BEST AIRPORT WASHROOMS
1 Hong Kong International Airport
2 Incheon International Airport
3 Kansai International Airport