Awards of Vienna Airport

(from left to right): Moritz Stipsicz, Director of the Leopold Museum, Tina Zelenka, Strategic Organisational Development Leopold Museum, Christian Hölbl, COO of DoN Group, Vicki Everest, SVP Global Partnerships Collinson, Andreas Dornik, Managing Director of Cserni GmbH, Julian Jäger, Joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport, Josef Donhauser, Founder and CEO of DoN group

The VIENNA Lounge at Vienna Airport convinces travellers of its merits. Thanks to the impressive combination of Viennese elegance, Austrian art and cuisine, the panorama view of the airport apron and the terrace open all year round, the VIENNA Lounge creates an exclusive personal retreat and place of refuge for passengers. Priority Pass members particularly value this offering and selected the VIENNA Lounge as the “Global Lounge of the Year” at its Excellence Awards 2024 among more than 1,500 worldwide lounges at more than 700 global airports in 145 countries. Priority Pass is the worldwide market leader for lounge access and was founded more than 30 years ago by the internationally operating Collinson Group. Within the context of a business partner event, the award was formally handed over to Julian Jäger, Joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport by Vicki Everest, Senior Vice President Global Partnerships at Collinson, in front of more than 70 guests from the business community, aviation, tourism and culture.

“A high level of service for passengers is the top priority for us and we are very gratified that our efforts are well received by our passengers. More than 370,000 top ratings from Priority Pass users confirm the high level of comfort they enjoy during their time at the airport, and the high-quality offering and customer service in the VIENNA Lounge. Thanks to our partners i.e., DoN group, Leopold Museum and Cserni as well as all lounge employees at Vienna Airport, passengers will have a special travel experience. With this award, Priority Pass puts VIENNA Lounge in the top ranks of global airport lounges!,” states Julian Jäger, Joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport.
 
“We have a shared ethos with our partners to deliver the best airport experience to our members and the winners of this year’s Priority Pass Excellence Awards have proven that they truly elevate every customer journey into something special. We had an unprecedented year at Collinson in 2023, which wouldn’t have been possible without our exceptional network of partners. So today we celebrate the VIENNA Lounge at Vienna Airport which is offering first class services to travellers from all over the world,” said Christopher Evans, CEO of Collinson International. 

Industry event with award ceremony in the VIENNA Lounge at Flughafen Wien

Within the context of a festive industry event in the VIENNA Lounge, Vicki Everest, Senior Vice President Global Partnerships at Collinson, handed over the award last night, on Wednesday 17 April 2024, on behalf of Priority Pass by Collinson last night. The award was given to Julian Jäger, Joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport, together with the airport’s partners Josef Donhauser, CEO and Founder of DoN group and Christian Hölbl, COO of DoN Group, Moritz Stipsicz, Directors of the Leopold Museum, as well as Andreas Dornik, Managing Director of Cserni GmbH. The moderator Sasa Schwarzjirg skillfully guided the attendees through the evening. More than 70 guests from the business community, aviation, tourism, and culture were present at the high-quality flying dinner organized by the DoN group and concluded the evening event while enjoying the exclusive atmosphere of the VIENNA Lounge. 

Excellence Awards 2024 by Priority Pass: VIENNA Lounge was named the best internationally

Priority Pass, the global market leader for airport experiences and lounge access, granted the renowned annual lounge award for the 16th straight year. The Priority Pass Excellence Awards honour the outstanding lounge and experience partners participating in the global Priority Pass network. This year, the VIENNA Lounge at Vienna Airport, which opened in 2022, was named the “Global Lounge of the Year”. The assessment of the worldwide Priority Pass network is based on the feedback and reviews from 379,966 members and is conducted in line with a variety of criteria, including the quality of the facilities, customer service, selected food and beverages and overall satisfaction. The VIENNA Lounge prevailed over 1,500 airport lounges across the globe, which operate at more than 700 airports in 145 countries. 

VIENNA Lounge: Exclusive atmosphere, Viennese elegance, Austrian art, and cuisine

Spanning an area of about 2,400 m², the VIENNA Lounge leaves nothing to be desired. Elegant interior decoration with design elements from the “Vienna School”, comfortable and high-quality furnishings and a panorama view of the airport apron create a bright and pleasant atmosphere. Possibilities to take showers, relaxation rooms and even a separate large meeting room looking out upon the airport apron offer useful services to travellers. A landscaped terrace with a view of the apron invites you to linger outdoors all year around. DoN group, Austria’s largest privately-run “tailored taste” catering company with an international orientation, is responsible for the underlying culinary concept. The food selection offers culinary highlights of local and international cuisine, freshly prepared dishes of the day and seasonal specialities as well as a large selection of drinks and fine wines and even a “Vienna coffee house” with Austrian pastries. High-speed WIFI, a free selection of newspapers and magazines, luggage storage and barrier-free toilets complete the wide range of services on offer. The VIENNA Lounge is open daily and offers a shuttle service to distant gates every 10 minutes. The overall general planning and furnishing of the VIENNA Lounge was implemented by the interior design company Cserni. What is particularly impressive is the fact that the entire lounge is decorated with high quality art prints of well-known works of art by major local artists such as Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, and many others resulting from the airport’s collaboration with the Leopold Museum in Vienna. Travellers who spend time in the VIENNA Lounge will feel as if they are almost really experiencing Vienna from its most picturesque side. 

DoN group – Austria’s largest privately-run “tailored taste” catering company

DoN has been serving the exclusive passenger lounges at Vienna Airport since March 2021, including the VIENNA Lounge, and offers business catering at the highest level. The concepts developed by DoN fulfill the highest quality demands, featuring tailor-made offerings and a strong focus on Austrian food. The DoN group is Austria’s largest privately-run catering company. It was founded in 1992 by Josef Donhauser, who successfully built up and expanded business operations in line with the slogan, “Delicious or Nothing.” 

Leopold Museum curates selected art prints for the VIENNA Lounge

Thanks to the airport’s cooperation with the Leopold Museum, the artistic design concept of the VIENNA Lounge enables visitors from all over the world to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of Vienna in 1900. High-quality reproductions show selected paintings and works of graphic art created by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Koloman Moser as well as historical billboards from exponents of the Vienna Secession from among the art collection of the Leopold Museum. Among the works which can be viewed in the VIENNA Lounge are Egon Schiele’s famous self-portrait and his unique depictions of women, especially the portrait of Wally Neuzil, as well as Gustav Klimt’s Death and Life, his most important work of all. 

Priority Pass: global market leader with access to over 1,500 airport lounges

Priority Pass is a globally leading system enabling members to use more than 1,500 airport lounges and enjoy other travel experiences – from spas and sleep pods to restaurants – at 700+ airports in 145 countries, irrespective of the flight class or the airline they are travelling with, transforming every journey into something special. Thanks to the systematic further expansion of partnerships with other leading brands, Priority Pass contributes to offering the world a better travel experience. More information on Priority Pass can be found at www.prioritypass.com/de.  

Collinson group: globally leading provider of travel experiences and customer benefits

The Priority Pass is operated by Collinson, the global, privately-owned company dedicated to helping the world to travel with ease and confidence. With 30 years of experience, the company offers innovative solutions in the fields of loyalty, lifestyle, insurance, and support. Collinson operates in more than 170 countries and manages more than 28 million customers.

): Vicki Everest, Senior Vice President Global Partnerships at Collinson and Julian Jäger, Joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport

During a festive industry event in the VIENNA Lounge, Priority Pass presented the "Global Lounge of the Year" award to Vienna Airport, with Sasa Schwarzjirg masterfully hosting the evening.

Julian Jäger and Günther Ofner
Photo: Niklas Schnaubelt

"The winners of this year's CEO & CFO Awards not only demonstrate enormous business management expertise and outstanding leadership qualities, but also show what can be achieved - especially in difficult times - when you pull together as a management team," emphasises Harald Breit, CEO of Deloitte Austria.

The 2024 award winners

Vienna Airport's business model has substance: although passenger numbers are still below the pre-pandemic level, the company was able to achieve higher revenue and profit. In addition, the company has paid out the highest dividend ever. This is a very successful business development overall, which was also confirmed once again by the management's strong "no" to buy-out attempts. The successful collaboration between Julian Jäger (CEO) and Günther Ofner (CFO) has now been recognised with the award in the "Mobility" category.

"The desire to travel has returned, Vienna Airport is back on course for growth and is also scoring points for service quality and as a business location hotspot thanks to a highly motivated team. Passenger, revenue and earnings figures increased further in 2023 and we expect around 30 million passengers in 2024. With a current market capitalisation of EUR 4.2 billion, Flughafen Wien Group is only just behind the significantly larger Frankfurt Airport. The share price has risen by more than 600% since 2012. This confirms the path we have taken and we are therefore very pleased to receive this award, which is above all due to the entire airport team", say the Management Board members of Flughafen Wien Group, Julian Jäger and Günther Ofner.

The selection process

The selection of the award winners is based on two equally weighted criteria, namely the jury's judgement and an objective analysis of the company's performance. The jury was made up of the CEOs and CFOs themselves. The CFO Newcomer of the Year was chosen by the members of the CFO Club Austria.

Michael Zach, Vice President Sales, Finance & Cargo, Ground Handling & Cargo Operations des Flughafens Wien (rechts) nahm den Award von Payload Asia in Singapur entgegen.(Credits: Payload Asia)

Payload Asia Awards 2022: Vienna Airport apron and cargo handling honored

Vienna Airport and its competence center for air cargo have been named European "Ground Handler of the Year" by trade magazine Payload Asia. The award recognizes the top quality in apron and cargo handling and underlines the excellent positioning of Vienna Airport as an efficient international air cargo hub. Thanks to extensive investments in its logistics infrastructure, Vienna Airport has developed into a global cargo hub for traffic between Europe and Asia and impresses airlines and freight forwarders with its fast and reliable cargo handling, even during peak and crisis periods. The Payload Asia Awards were presented for the ninth time in Singapore on October 28, 2022.

"Congratulations to the airport team who put in great effort every day and provide top quality ramp and cargo handling services. This award follows other awards that our airport has already received this year, and is thus another nice confirmation of the performance of Vienna Airport. Especially in times of crisis, Vienna has proven itself to be a reliable international hub, and special thanks go to the entire team at the airport" says Julian Jäger, member of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG.
 
"We thank the jury and all participants who voted for us. We take the award as an opportunity to thank our apron and cargo team, which provides services at the highest level around the clock every day. At the same time, we see the award as an incentive to continuously improve offerings for our customers," commented Michael Zach, Vice President Sales, Finance & Cargo, Ground Handling & Cargo Operations at Vienna Airport.

Comprehensive cargo services in 24-hour operation

Vienna Airport can handle aircraft of all types. Involved facilities such as customs, border protection and health authorities are also available to customers in 24-hour operation. Via a dense roadfeeder network, 23 countries in Central, Southern as well as Southeastern Europe can be reached in a maximum of 36 hours. With the modern Pharma Handling Center built in 2018, the site is also equipped to handle temperature-critical transports. Several globally operating cargo airlines operate from Vienna Airport, such as Lufthansa Cargo, Korean Air Cargo, Asiana, Cargolux, Qatar Airways Cargo and Silk Way West Airlines. With more than 261,000 tons last year, Vienna Airport was able to handle around 20 percent more cargo quickly and safely compared to the previous year.

Vienna Airport - efficient cargo hub in the heart of Europe

With its geographically favorable location in Europe, Vienna Airport has established itself as an important global cargo hub for Central and Eastern Europe. Especially for intercontinental shipments, Vienna Airport is served by leading cargo airlines. With its 24-hour operational readiness, the location offers fast turnaround times. For air cargo, 10 category F aircraft stands (Boeing 747, Antonov 124) are available in the immediate vicinity of the terminal building. The airport is firmly anchored in the European network of air freight substitution services. The most important consumer and economic centers in Central and Eastern Europe are reached within 24 or 48 hours. The Vienna listed operating company Flughafen Wien AG is one of the largest employers in its region with more than 5,400 employees.

For new Terminal 2, high reliability and service quality, and CO2 reduction measures: Vienna Airport receives "Best European Airport 2022" from ACI Europe

And the Award goes to Vienna Airport: the international airport association ACI Europe (Airports Council International) presents Vienna Airport with the "Best European Airport 2022" award. The decisive factors are the quality improvement through the modernized Terminal 2, the high reliability and service quality of the airport and its team, as well as the consistent implementation of CO2 reduction measures. The award was presented yesterday, 23.6.2022, in the evening during the ACI annual meeting in Rome to Flughafen Wien board member Mag. Julian Jäger. 

"A high quality of service for passengers, ensuring reliable and punctual airport operations and the further reduction of our CO2 emissions have always been top priorities for us as Vienna Airport - before, during and also after the COVID-19 pandemic. With the new Terminal 2, our climate protection measures and its operational quality, the airport has made good progress and we are pleased that this has been noticed in the industry and by passengers. Above all, however, this award is recognition of the outstanding performance of our employees, whose great commitment every day ensures that operations at the site run smoothly and that passengers can rely on Vienna Airport," said the members of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG, Mag. Julian Jäger and Dr. Günther Ofner, expressing their delight at the award.

One of the most important awards of the year for the aviation industry
The "Best European Airport 2022" award is one of the most important awards in the aviation industry. In the process, European airports are analyzed in the categories "Under 5 million", "5-10 million", "10-25 million", "25-40 million" and over "40 million passengers" by a jury of experts with representatives from the European Commission, Eurocontrol, the European Civil Aviation Conference, the International Transport Forum and the European SESAR program. The categories are based on 2019 passenger numbers before the COVID 19 pandemic; Vienna Airport recorded 31.7 million travelers that year. Airports are evaluated on how they have managed the restart after the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of service quality and operations, as well as what measures airports are taking to improve their sustainability and what progress they are making. A total of 10 airports were honored, with Vienna Airport taking first place in the "25-40 million passengers" category.

High reliability and service quality for passengers
How airports handled the pandemic and the return of air traffic is one criterion for the "Best Airport" rating. Despite increasing air traffic and passenger volumes, Vienna Airport is one of the most punctual aviation hubs in Europe and waiting times at security checkpoints currently do not exceed 15 minutes at peak times, even during the onset of summer travel. In contrast to other airports, Vienna Airport has managed the restart after the COVID 19 crisis well, as demonstrated by the largely problem-free traffic-intensive travel days around the holidays and extended weekends in May and June. Thanks to short-time work, Vienna Airport was able to bridge the very low-traffic COVID 19 crisis years without any job cuts and is now well positioned for the expected summer travel. In addition, Vienna Airport is currently taking on new staff on an ongoing basis, particularly in the areas of security control, passenger and ground handling, with more than 100 new employees hired recently.

Successful modernization: more comfort for passengers thanks to new Terminal 2
Also rated very highly in the passenger survey was the new Terminal 2. Following extensive modernization during the low-traffic pandemic years, Terminal 2 has been in operation again since the end of March 2022 and offers passengers greater quality of service: a large, central, state-of-the-art security checkpoint ensures fast screening processes, additional baggage claim belts assist travelers on arrival and the new, exclusive,  Vienna Lounge on 2. 400 m² creates an outstanding lounge experience: travelers experience a spacious, elegantly designed lounge environment with a panoramic view of the apron, rest and meeting rooms, shower facilities and a wide range of culinary offerings from the Donhauser catering company - all in an ambience dominated by Austrian art, with high-quality art prints of well-known works by major Austrian artists such as Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and many more as part of a cooperative venture with the Leopold Museum.

ACI recognizes consistent implementation of sustainability strategy
Vienna International Airport's consistent implementation of its sustainability strategy, including many measures to reduce its CO2 emissions, was also recognized by ACI. Eight photovoltaic plants - including Austria's largest at 24 hectares and 55,000 panels - produce 30% of Vienna Airport's annual electricity consumption. Combined with OMV's CO2-free use of district heating, the ongoing conversion of the airport's vehicle fleet to e-mobility, the extensive use of LED lighting, energy-efficient building management for all properties at the site and Office Park 4, which is supplied with geothermal and photovoltaic energy, Vienna Airport has been able to reduce its CO2 emissions by around 70% since 2012.  By 2023, Vienna Airport will already be running its operations on a CO2-neutral basis.

Austria's strongest real estate brands 2020: Airport City at Vienna Airport receives European Real Estate Brand Award

For the third time in a row, the European Real Estate Brand Institute (REB Institute) honors Airport City at Vienna Airport as Austria's strongest real estate brand in the "Business Campus" category. Key success factors for this are the distinctive sustainability, the high degree of innovation and the competent location management. The Airport City prevailed at the European Real Estate Brand Awards against 150 companies, which were evaluated by 7,000 industry experts.
"Sustainability, innovation and multifunctionality are the most important cornerstones of Airport City at Vienna Airport and we are pleased that this is also recognized in the international real estate industry. Companies will find their perfect business location in Airport City, with all the advantages of Vienna Airport as a transport hub with its multimodality and wide range of services. The interest of companies to locate here continues to be strong and the new Office Park 4 will bring an additional 26,000 sqm of office and conferencing space for this purpose", said Dr. Günther Ofner, member of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG, delighted with the award.
 
"For the third time in a row, we have received an award from the REB Institute and we are very pleased about this. Airport City offers companies perfect conditions for their location, such as the immediate proximity to the airport terminals, as well as to the freeway and long-distance train connections, extensive local amenities, overnight accommodation capacities, as well as health and a fitness center," notes Mag. Wolfgang Scheibenpflug, Head of Real Estate and Location Management at Flughafen Wien AG.
 
REB Institute, the leading platform for the evaluation of corporate brands. The European Real Estate Brand Institute is the leading platform for the financial and behavioral evaluation of corporate brands in the European real estate industry. The annual Real Estate Brand Value study provides scientifically validated data on brand positioning. In 2020, the study was conducted for the twelfth time in a row. Professional opinions of 109,000 experts from the real estate industry on more than 1,000 brands from 45 European markets were evaluated in 2020.

Interested parties for office and operational space at Airport City Vienna can find more information at  www.airport-city.at or can contact (+43-1-) 7007-7007 or  info@airport-city.at respectively.
 

Image: Real Estate Award 2019 (l.t.r.): Mag. Wolfgang Scheibenpflug, Dr. Günther Ofner Copyright: Flughafen Wien

REB Institute names Airport City Vienna best business campus in Austria

Innovative strength, a wide range of support services for tenants and a high recommendation rate make Airport City Vienna unbeatable as a business campus in Austria: After 2018, the European Real Estate Brand Institute (REB Institute) again awarded first place to Vienna Airport this year, relegating large business locations such as "Quartier Belvedere Central" or "Viertel Zwei" to second and third place. More than 7,000 industry experts evaluated over 150 companies as part of a brand value study by the REB Institute.

"It confirms the successful strategy that Airport City Vienna has also asserted itself as the strongest business campus brand in 2019. Good transport connections and a wide range of infrastructure make Airport City Vienna the ideal business location. With the opening of the new Office Park 4 from May 2020, there will be an additional 26,000 m² of offices," said Dr. Günther Ofner, member of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG.

"Innovation and the highest quality characterize our commitment to the further development of Airport City Vienna. We are delighted to have once again won first place as the best business campus in Austria," says Mag. Wolfgang Scheibenpflug MRICS, Head of the Real Estate and Location Management Division of Flughafen Wien AG.

Airport City Vienna remains number one in Austria

In this year's evaluation, the REB Institute rewarded the continuous development of the "Airport City Vienna" brand with first place in the Business Campus category. The Vienna Airport business location scored particularly well with its innovative strength, broad range of offers for tenants and high recommendation rate.

The development of the airport real estate location into a multifunctional Airport City is a key element of the airport strategy. With logistics space of around 40,000 sqm, an office offering of currently more than 100,000 sqm of office and event space, various local supply and service facilities, such as supermarkets, a pharmacy, a fitness center, a 24/7 post partner, a vehicle registration office and numerous other offerings, Vienna Airport is a perfect business location. In addition, the Airport City gains special attractiveness due to the efficient transport connections to road, rail and air, and offers ideal conditions for business locations.

Those interested in office and operational space at Airport City Vienna can find more information at www.airport-city.at and can contact (+43-1-) 7007-7007 or info@airport-city.at.

Comprehensive study by the European Real Estate Brand Institute

As the leading platform for determining the positioning of corporate brands in the European real estate industry, the European Real Estate Brand Institute has been collecting scientifically recognized brand value studies since 2009. Annually, 1,600 brands in 47 countries are evaluated. In Austria, more than 7,000 industry experts evaluated over 150 companies and their brand values. The study provides comparable data and findings that allow clear recommendations for action to be derived as well as a competitive comparison to be drawn up.

Top service for passengers: Skytrax presents the 2019 "Best Airport Staff in Europe" award to Vienna Airport

Europe's most customer-friendly airport is Vienna: Vienna Airport prevails for the fourth time in the Skytrax Awards in the category "Best Airport Staff in Europe". More than 13.5 million travelers rated the service orientation, friendliness and competence of Vienna's staff as outstanding in a passenger survey conducted by the international market research institute. Overall, Vienna Airport is thus on the Skytrax podium for the fifth time: 4x as winner of the "Best Airport Staff in Europe" award, 1x in second place. Since 2015, Vienna Airport also bears the 4-Star predicate of Skytrax.

"22,500 employees at Vienna Airport do an outstanding job every day to ensure a pleasant travel experience for all passengers. The employees of the airport, the airlines, the authorities and all other organizations work very well and closely together throughout the site. We are delighted about this great award, which is due to the high level of commitment of all employees at the airport," said Julian Jäger and Günther Ofner, members of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG.

Customer friendliness at Vienna Airport already top-ranked for five years 

Vienna Airport has been on the Skytrax podium for the fifth time: In first place in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019, and in second place in 2018. This year, Vienna prevailed over Munich and Amsterdam, which were relegated to second and third place. In the overall ranking "World's Top 100 Airports", Vienna Airport is ranked 19th. Since 2015, Vienna Airport has also been entitled to use the "4-Star Airport" quality rating from Skytrax.

Skytrax Awards

The Skytrax Awards are recognized quality ratings in the aviation industry and are presented annually to airports and airlines by the renowned market research institute. They assess the service orientation, friendliness and competence of employees in passenger-related areas, the comfort of the stay in the terminals, the range of passenger services, the quality of the shopping and gastronomy environment and many other factors. The basis for this is a passenger survey with more than 13.5 million respondents in which over 550 airports worldwide are evaluated. More information can be found at  www.worldairportawards.com.

More than 600,000 passengers rate the quality of service at more than 300 airports in 84 countries worldwide as part of the annual quality survey conducted by the international aviation industry association ACI (Airport Council International). The results were presented today: Winner of the category "Europe and 15 to 25 million passengers" is Vienna Airport. After the third place in 2015 and the award in bronze, Vienna Airport now receives the Airport Service Quality Award in gold from ACI. This shows that the airport's quality offensive is being noticed: In addition to the ASQ awards, Vienna Airport has also received the 4-star rating from Skytrax in the past two years, as well as the award for the "Best Airport Team in Europe" and the "Beryll Award" for its commitment to accessibility two times in a row.

"More than 23 million passengers used Vienna Airport in 2016. We want to offer them all perfect service. To this end, we launched a comprehensive service initiative back in 2012 to continuously improve the quality experience for our travelers, and this award shows that we are on the right track. For the first time in history, Vienna Airport is the European quality leader in its category, and that is something to be proud of," said a delighted Julian Jäger and Günther Ofner, members of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG. In particular, Vienna Airport achieved top scores in the passenger survey in 2016 for efficiency, short waiting times, customer orientation and friendliness, free WLAN and cleanliness.

Airport service quality: accurate evaluation of quality factors

The awards are based on an annual passenger survey conducted by ACI called "Airport Service Quality (ASQ)." This involves surveying more than 600,000 passengers at more than 300 airports in 84 countries and evaluating the results in detail according to various categories, such as "orientation," "security checks," "food & beverage," "airport facilities," "overall satisfaction" and many more. For Vienna Airport, the ASQ evaluation is very important because it provides a regular and detailed overview of passenger satisfaction. As part of an internal company service initiative, Vienna Airport has been developing a variety of measures to increase service quality for passengers since the fall of 2012. 

Nähere Informationen finden Sie unter: www.aci.aero/Airport-Service-Quality/ASQ-Awards/Current-Winners

4 stars airport

Vienna Airport receives a new international award: the renowned market research institute Skytrax has awarded Vienna Airport the rating "4-Star-Airport". Evaluated and recognized were above all the service quality to passengers, the shopping and dining options and the terminal and location quality.
With the coveted seal of approval, Vienna Airport joins the illustrious ranks of ten 4-Star airports in Europe, including Amsterdam-Schiphol, Frankfurt, London-Heathrow and Zurich. Following the award received in spring 2015 for the "Best Airport Staff Europe", the 4-star seal of approval is already the second Skytrax recognition for Vienna Airport this year.

Another award from Skytrax

"After the award for the "Best Airport Staff Europe", the new award by Skytrax shows that our service offensive is taking effect and is appreciated by passengers and international experts alike. We are delighted with this recognition and will continue to pursue the path we have chosen towards greater service quality," says Julian Jäger, member of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG.

Vienna Airport services audited on-site by Skytrax experts

The basis for the "4-Star" award was an on-site evaluation over several days by an international team of Skytrax experts, who examined and assessed the quality of service at the airport, the terminal infrastructure, shopping and catering facilities, and useful services for passengers.

Vienna Airport has achieved a great deal in this area in recent years as part of its service offensive: for example, a  new guidance system and barrier-free information monitors, offers for families with the Family Fun Gate and the family security checkpoint, special service counters and electronic waiting time displays at the security checkpoints and other offers have been newly introduced, and work on further services is ongoing.

Only ten "4-star airports" in Europe

The 4-star rating puts Vienna Airport on a quality level with nine other European airports: Amsterdam Schiphol, Barcelona El Prat, Copenhagen, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Zurich are also included in the ranking. There are 35 "4-Star Airports" worldwide, including major locations such as Abu Dhabi International Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Of holders of the next highest award - the "5-Star Airport" - there are only five worldwide and, with Munich Airport, only one in Europe.

Accessibility is an important concern for Vienna Airport. This is also recognized: The Hilfsgemeinschaft der Blinden und Sehschwachen in Österreich (Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Austria) presents Vienna Airport with the "Beryll Award", newly established by the organization. The award recognizes the airport's commitment to accessibility at the site and the implementation of various measures, especially for people with visual impairments through newly developed information monitors and an improved guidance system with color coding, better recognition and new pictograms. The award was presented to Vienna Airport at a ceremony on Tuesday evening.

"Accessibility is a key concern for us and we greatly appreciate the good cooperation with the aid organizations and those affected. We are therefore delighted about this positive recognition of our commitment." confirm the Management Board members of Flughafen Wien AG Mag. Julian Jäger and Dr. Günther Ofner.

Vienna International Airport in regular exchange with aid organizations

Vienna Airport is in regular exchange with a total of nine disability organizations in order to jointly achieve improvements and innovations in accessibility. Numerous measures have already been implemented and presented, such as a handicapped-accessible crossing between terminal areas 2 and 3, a new comprehensive visual guidance system for all terminal areas, new information monitors with better readability, a mobility counter for people with special needs and many other projects. For this commitment and the solutions for blind and visually impaired people, Vienna Airport has now been awarded the Beryll-Ward. 

"Beryl Award" - New award for visual accessibility

Founded in 1935, the Hilfsgemeinschaft der Blinden und Sehschwachen Österreichs primarily represents concerns of supporting severely visually impaired people, advocating for a barrier-free environment and accompanying progressive projects in this field. On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the organization, the "Beryll Award" has now been established. The award is given to companies and projects that create accessible solutions for people with visual impairment. 

For the first time in Austria, an entire business park receives an award for its commitment to sustainability: The Austrian Society for Sustainable Real Estate (ÖGNI) awards the first Austrian neighborhood certificate for sustainable real estate development to Flughafen Wien AG for its "Airport City Vienna" location project.

"Sustainability and environmental awareness are also ecological and economic focal points of our real estate strategy. We are developing the airport site into a sustainable Airport City with over 70,000 m² of office and conference space, hotel facilities, transport infrastructure and much more. This certificate is therefore confirmation for us that we are following the right path here," said a delighted Dr. Günther Ofner, member of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG.

Dr. Günther Ofner continued: "The ongoing energy efficiency offensive resulted in a reduction of electricity consumption by 10 million kWh in 2014, more than 6% of total consumption. Significant savings were also achieved in air conditioning and district heating consumption, which also saves around €1 million in electricity costs per year. This corresponds, for example, to the consumption in 4,000 households. More than a hundred other measures are currently being implemented. The prerequisite for this was not only a comprehensive energy concept but also investments worth millions, such as the installation of new frequency converters, optimization of lighting equipment and ventilation control, installation of recirculation dampers and much more. In addition, the market share survey of public transport in the modal split has led to a significant reduction in road traffic."

"I am convinced that Vienna Airport will provide the decisive impetus for neighborhood certification, because urban neighborhoods play a central role in the sustainable development of our society," says ÖGNI founding president Philipp Kaufmann. He adds, "They will play a key role because they offer a unique opportunity to use energy, waste and transport systems more efficiently and to reduce energy demand."

First award for business parks in Austria

Vienna Airport is the first commercial area to be awarded the DGNB sustainability certificate by ÖGNI in Austria. The site was evaluated according to various factors, such as ecological and economic quality, as well as socio-cultural and functional characteristics. The focus is always on the holistic approach: Thus, at the airport, the various aspects, such as building and air-conditioning technology, measures to reduce energy consumption, recreational and living spaces for the people working at the site, transport connections and much more were precisely analyzed, evaluated and ultimately combined in a result for the entire  site.

Important future signal to tenants for sustainable real estate development

With the new certification for business parks, ÖGNI is sending an important signal for real estate development. While awards have so far gone to individual real estate properties and buildings, the new certificate primarily follows the real estate trend toward the development of holistic site concepts and commercial districts. This "neighborhood certificate" ensures that large-scale location development is also carried out according to objectively sustainable criteria. The "Quartierszertifikat" was developed by the German Sustainable Building Council (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen e.V.) together with the ÖGNI, which is responsible for positioning it on the Austrian real estate market. Internationally, entire city quarters, such as the Europaviertel West in Frankfurt am Main (Germany) or the Carlsberg City District in Copenhagen (Denmark), have already been recognized with the award.

About the ÖGNI

The Austrian Society for Sustainable Real Estate (ÖGNI) promotes the paradigm shift of the construction and real estate industry towards sustainability. Under the 3-P approach, the focus is on products, people and processes. Responsibility, openness and transparency are lived at all levels.

Saving energy and sustainability are key corporate goals for Vienna Airport.  Following the successful EMAS certification, Vienna Airport received the EMAS Award 2016 for exemplary environmental management from Environment Minister Andrä Rupprechter yesterday, Thursday May 19, 2016.

"Saving energy, careful use of natural resources and seamless management of residual materials are of particular importance to the airport as an infrastructure company and are an essential part of our corporate strategy. We are delighted to have our professional work and the energy efficiency gains we have achieved recognized by the EMAS Award 2016." explain Dr. Günther Ofner and Mag. Julian Jäger, members of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG. They added: "We have set ourselves very ambitious targets for reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 2020 as part of the environmental management program, and all areas of the company are working to achieve them."

Minister Rupprechter referred to the exemplary effect of the certified companies: "Business is an important partner in environmental policy. EMAS companies are among the most innovative in their sector and continuously implement measures to achieve their environmental goals. Here we occupy a leading position throughout Europe."

Vienna Airport focuses on environmental management

Vienna Airport, one of the largest employers in eastern Austria with more than 20,000 employees at the site, has recently implemented a comprehensive energy efficiency program with more than 100 measures, which has, for example, reduced CO2 emissions by around 20% and energy consumption per traffic unit by around 12% over the past 3 years. The construction of two new photovoltaic systems is about to be completed as part of the use of large roof areas, with a continuous further expansion planned in the coming years. Electric mobility is being expanded to reduce emissions; for example, 30 electric-powered catering pallet trucks are to be purchased in the coming years instead of diesel-powered ones. In 2015, a carpooling exchange was also created with Drive2VIE, which is intended to encourage employees at the Vienna Airport site to increase carpooling.

EMAS: Comprehensive certification system for sustainability

The "Eco-Management and Audit Scheme" (EMAS) is a certification system developed by the European Union for companies and organizations that want to continuously improve their environmental management and sustainability. EMAS identifies ecological and economic optimization potential for saving operating materials, energy and costs. The goals are the continuous improvement of operational environmental protection and the responsible use of natural resources, people and the environment. In order to highlight the exemplary environmental management of Austrian companies, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (BMLFUW) established the EMAS Award in 1995. All EMAS-registered companies and organizations in Austria are eligible to participate in this competition. A jury of experts from business, administration and science judges the entries and selects the winners.