Incheon Airport has won the world’s best airport award for a record 12th consecutive year.

South Korea’s largest airport scored 4.99 points out of 5, winning the title given by the annual Airport Service Quality Award event presented by Airports Council International.

The airport was also named the best large airport (with at least 40 million passengers annually), the best airport in Asia-Pacific and the best large-scale airport in Asia-Pacific.

Changi Airport in Singapore was second place.

Incheon Airport said the result was due to “constant efforts” made to improve safety and service upon last year’s cargo delays and smuggling of Chinese travelers. It has been implementing 48-point service improvement measures under the lead of Chung Il-young, the chief of Incheon International Airport Corp.

Thirty four of the tasks have been completed as of last year, including operating mobile check-in counters and the expansion of security check points, the installation of capsule hotels, improving play areas and rest areas for babies and children, simplifying the parking fee payment system and running a real-time bus arrival notification system.

A total of 57.76 million passengers used the airport last year, up 17.2 percent from the previous year.

“While there were times of difficulties last year, I am extremely proud to say that all 40,000 of the airport’s employees worked together to fix whatever problems there were and maintained our world’s top status,” Chung said, pledging to continue providing the best service and facilities.

ASQ surveys passengers at the airport on their day of travel. Each year, about 600,000 individual surveys are conducted in 41 languages in 84 countries. The questions cover 34 key performance indicators, including airport access, check-in, security screening, restrooms, stores and restaurants.

The awards ceremony will be held at the 27th ACI Africa and World Annual General Assembly in Port Louis, Mauritius, from Oct. 16-18. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)