Munich hub earns title of Europe’s first five-star airport

MAR 30, 2015: Bavaria’s gateway to the world has now become Europe’s first five-star airport. The coveted title, considered the “Oscar of aviation” in the industry, is granted by the London-based Skytrax Institute. The auditors from that independent organization spent months examining every aspect of the Bavarian hub. The airport launched a quality offensive back in 2013 to develop and continuously improve its performance in the five categories “First-class ambiance and comfort”, “Range of services and amenities”, “Efficient processes”, “Ease of transit through airport” and “Outstanding friendliness”. For Munich Airport CEO Dr. Michael Kerkloh, this seal of approval is a further confirmation of the high-quality work delivered by the entire airport family, “Alongside the Asian airports Singapore, Seoul, Hong Kong and Tokyo-Haneda, Munich Airport is the fifth airport to join the five-star club – and the first in Europe. We owe this success not only to our hard-working project team, but ultimately to our entire airport workforce.”

To earn five-star status, an airport must present a seamless high-quality experience along the entire travel chain. The criteria range from clear signage and navigation to outstanding service, attractive shopping and dining, immaculate cleanliness and a modern ambiance.

To meet the auditors’ stringent standards, Munich Airport planned and implemented an entire package of measures. In Terminal 2, for example, two departure areas were tastefully redesigned as recreation areas where passengers can turn waiting time into a quiet time to relax or get some work done. Comfortable seating and reclining benches combined with subdued lighting and attractive plant arrangements create a relaxed and pleasant setting. In addition, the departure areas in both terminals are now fully equipped with electric outlets and USB connections for notebooks, tablets and mobile telephones. And since the summer of 2014, Munich Airport has provided wireless internet access free of charge with no time limits.

The quality campaign in Terminal 2 was carried out in close consultation with Lufthansa. Incidentally, Lufthansa implemented a project at the same time for certification as a five-star airline. Other partners such as the Federal Police also made vital contributions to help the airport achieve five-star status: for example by implementing the EasyPASS identity screening system to simplify the entry and departure of passengers in Munich.