KIA gets ACI’s Level 5 customer experience accreditation

The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has achieved Level 5 accreditation under the Airports Council International (ACI) Customer Experience Accreditation programme, the highest level within the framework.

The ACI Airport Customer Experience Accreditation Programme is the only global framework in the airport industry that offers a comprehensive, end-to-end assessment of customer experience management.

It evaluates airports across key areas such as customer insight, strategy, service design, operations, culture, and collaboration, providing a structured approach to enhancing the passenger journey.

The framework spans five progressive levels, with Levels 4 and 5 recognising a fully integrated and mature approach to customer experience.

The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) said KIA’s achievement of Level 5 accreditation follows a rigorous review and validation process, reflecting strong alignment with global standards and industry best practices.

“In line with this achievement, KIA has embedded customer experience as an organisational priority, anchored in strong governance, cross-functional coordination and a service-driven culture across the airport community,” BIAL said.

It added that this is reinforced through structured customer insight programmes, including leadership-led passenger engagement, employee involvement and capability-building initiatives such as airport-wide employee experience surveys, and comprehensive passenger research through satisfaction surveys, observations, shadowing, journey mapping, persona development, focus groups, and employee workshops, enabling deep analysis of Airport Service Quality (ASQ) insights and data-driven decision-making.

Hari Marar, managing director and CEO, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), said that achieving Level 5 accreditation under ACI’s Customer Experience Accreditation programme reflects the discipline and consistency of this approach.

“This milestone is driven by the collective effort of our airport community, and it strengthens our focus on delivering consistent, intuitive, and differentiated experiences that meet the expectations of a global traveller,” he said.

“Passenger experience lies at the heart of everything airports do. ACI World congratulates KIA on achieving ACI’s Airport Customer Experience Accreditation, recognising its strong commitment to meeting the evolving expectations of travellers and advancing excellence in airport customer experience,” ACI world director general Justin Erbacci said.