Toronto (February 29, 2016) – Earlier today Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport was named one of the top airports in North America in the Airports Council International’s (ACI) 2015 Airport Service Quality Awards. Billy Bishop Airport tied for third in the Best Airport – North America Region category, one of only two Canadian airports to make the list along with Ottawa International Airport. Austin, Detroit, Sacramento and San Antonio were the other airports to tie for third place.

The 2015 ACI Awards are based on the passenger-driven results of the ACI’s Airport Service Quality Survey, which saw more than 550,000 in-depth passenger surveys conducted at over 300 airports across more than 80 countries worldwide. The survey methodology is predicated on at least 1,200 surveys being conducted at each participating airport by ACI over the course of a year. The survey gathers information relating to passenger satisfaction across a number of key performance indicators for airport service including check-in, courtesy of staff, comfort of waiting areas and security. Billy Bishop Airport participated in the Airport Service Quality Survey – considered to be the world’s benchmark measure of airport excellence – for the first time in 2015.

“To be ranked by our passengers as one of the best airports in the world as part of the ACI’s Airport Service Quality Awards is an overwhelming honour and true testament to the work that we are doing at Billy Bishop Airport,” said Geoffrey Wilson, CEO of PortsToronto, owner and operator of the airport. “The investment we have made in the airport from developing infrastructure, to partnering with exceptional air carriers, to working with our stakeholders to provide amenities and access is aimed at providing passengers with an exceptional travel experience that makes the airport an enjoyable part of the travel journey. Billy Bishop Airport is an asset to the City of Toronto and provides an important gateway for people to come, go and stay in our amazing city. This award, and the survey information behind this award, validates the work we have done to date and provides us with an important framework for the future of this airport as a provider of customer service and connectivity.”  

“Airports’ increasing concentration on ensuring a stellar passenger experience is part of a larger trend,” said Angela Gittens, Director General, ACI World. “From duty free and restaurants to ambience, cleanliness, courtesy of staff, amenities, efficiency and more, air travelers are expecting big things from the airports through which they travel. More than anything, ASQ is a way for participants to measure the extent to which they deliver on these expectations.”

This is the latest in a series of awards won by the airport in recent months. In 2015, Billy Bishop Airport was also recognized by the Skytrax World Airport Awards as one of North America's top regional airports and was named as one of the Top Ten Most Beautiful Airport Approaches by Private Fly. Billy Bishop Airport was also a finalist in the World Business Travel Awards.

About the Airport Service Quality Awards
The ACI Airport Service Quality (ASQ) programme is unique as the airport industry’s only global benchmarking programme measuring passenger satisfaction in real time while passengers are at the airport. Implemented at over 300 airports worldwide, the ASQ programme delivers an in-depth assessment of the quality of the customer service experience, including elements such as check-in; security; wayfinding; food and beverage; and more. The resulting database allows for a comprehensive analysis of the customer service experience at each participating airport.

About Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
With flights to 24 destinations in Canada and the United States and connections to 80 locations around the world, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport provides travellers coming into and out of Canada's largest city with a convenient travel option located less than three kilometres from Toronto’s downtown core. In 2015, the airport served 2.5 million passengers, making it the ninth-busiest airport in Canada and the sixth-busiest Canadian airport serving the United States.

About PortsToronto (http://www.portstoronto.com/)
For more than 100 years PortsToronto, (formerly the Toronto Port Authority), has worked with its partners at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to enhance the economic growth of the City of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. PortsToronto owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which welcomes more than two million passengers each year; the Outer Harbour Marina, one of Canada's largest freshwater marinas; and, Terminals 51 and 52, which provide transportation, distribution, storage and container services to businesses at the Port of Toronto. PortsToronto is committed to fostering strong, healthy and sustainable communities and has invested more than $8 million since 2009 in charitable initiatives and environmental programs that benefit communities along Toronto's waterfront and beyond. PortsToronto operates in accordance with the Canada Marine Act and is guided by a nine-member board with representation from all three levels of government.

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Media Contact:
Erin Mikaluk, Senior Manager, Communications & Media Relations
PortsToronto
Tel: (416) 863-2065
Cell: (647) 298-0544
E-mail: emikaluk@portstoronto.com