Zanzibar Airport wins the best airport in Africa award
Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (AAKIA) in Zanzibar has won the award of Best Airport under Two Million Passengers in Africa presented by Airports Council International (ACI).
The award was officially announced on March 11, 2024, when the Zanzibar Airport was recognised for its airport excellence.
The director-general of the Zanzibar Airports Authority (ZAA), Mr Seif Abdalla Juma, attributed the achievement to various efforts by the government to attract significant investment in the sector.
"Services are excellent from reception to boarding the plane. They deserve the award,” local media The Citizen quoted Jasmin Mzee, a passenger using the airport.
The Airport Council International (ACI) recognises airport excellence by evaluating passenger feedback from daily surveys conducted in departure and arrival zones worldwide. The awards cover several categories, including Most Dedicated Staff, Easiest Airport Journey, Most Enjoyable Airport, and Cleanest Airport.
Mr Seif Abdalla attributed the award to the government's strategic initiatives to attract substantial investment in the aviation sector. He said that following staff training initiatives, the airport began to witness substantial improvements in service delivery, contributing to ZAA’s fifth-place ranking out of 17 African airports in the first quarter of 2023.
According to reports from local media agency The Citizen, the Zanzibar government initiated partnerships with private companies on November 24, 2021, to manage airport operations, intending to improve passenger and cargo services while prioritising safety.
Subsequently, in April 2022, new projects were introduced at the airport, including the adoption of Passenger Boarding Bridges (PBB) for passengers which enable them to move seamlessly from terminal to aircraft, alongside the deployment of Visual Docking Guidance Systems (VDGS) to aid pilots in aircraft parking without the need for ground marshals
The authority expects to formally receive the award during the annual Customer Service Conference and Exhibition in Atlanta, USA, on September 25, 2024.
