Frankfurt Ranked as World's Best Large Airport in J.D. Power's Global Airport Passenger Satisfaction Study

February 19, 2004

Frankfurt Ranked as World's Best Large Airport in J.D.
Power's Global Airport Passenger Satisfaction Study 
The Scotsman, UK

Frankfurt am Main, Germany (ots) – Frankfurt Airport
(FRA) has been ranked as the best large airport in the
world in the 2003 Global Airport Passenger
Satisfaction Study, conducted by the internationally
renowned J.D. Power and Associates marketing
information company. In this latest study, J.D. Power
reported that “Frankfurt Airport ranks highest in
passenger satisfaction among large airports – those
with 30 million passengers or more per year –
performing particularly well in the factors pertaining
to getting to the terminal, leaving the airport, and
baggage claim.“ Passengers evaluated airports on nine
different factors: getting to the terminal, leaving
the airport, check-in process, baggage claim, airport
terminal facilities, security check, gate areas,
concessions (retailing), and immigration/customs
control. 

Frankfurt Airport achieved an overall passenger
satisfaction index score of 660 (based on a
1,000-point scale), well above the “large airport
average“ of 612. Three U.S. airports followed FRA in
the rankings: Denver (DEN), Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP)
and Las Vegas (LAS). Amsterdam-Schiphol (AMS), in
fifth place, was the only other European airport
ranked in the top 10. Other European airports ranking
below the “large airport average“ included
London-Gatwick (LGW), London-Heathrow (LHR), Madrid
Barajas (MAD) and Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG). Based
on more than 12,000 responses from passengers around
the world, the 2003 Global Airport Passenger
Satisfaction Study was conducted in seven languages
between September and October 2003. The study measured
passenger satisfaction at 61 airports worldwide. 

J.D. Power also noted that “the completion of new rail
and shuttle services“ contributed to FRA’s high rating
and that “Frankfurt has more than 180 retail, food and
beverage establishments within the terminals, which
passengers appreciate.“ Optimal integration of air,
rail and road networks at continental Europe’s busiest
airport hub has been a strategic imperative for
decades for Fraport AG, the owner and manager of
Frankfurt Airport. Currently, FRA offers more
long-distance train services than any other airport in
the world: some 170 intercity train services per day
from the futuristic AIRail Terminal. 

Frankfurt Airport’s service performance depends on
highly skilled staff, innovative management and
procedures, and advanced technology operating behind
the scenes. For example, the airport-wide automated
baggage handling system, which comprises some 67
kilometers of guideways, is critical for providing
reliable baggage services to departing, arriving and
transfer passengers at FRA. 

Fraport is currently expanding the total amount of
retail space at Terminals 1 and 2 to 20,000 square
meters within the next few years. The “mix“ of shops
and restaurants is also being systematically enhanced
to meet the changing needs of customers. Further
information for traveling via FRA can be found on the
Internet at: www.frankfurt-airport.de.

Headquartered in California, J.D. Power and Associates
(www.jdpower.com) is an ISO 9001-registered company
offering marketing information services globally. J.D.
Power’s surveys are significant in the auto industry
as well as the travel, telecommunications, retailing,
finance, health care and other industries. The company
surveys millions of consumers and businesses each year
about their opinions and expectations regarding the
products and services that they purchase and use. 

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