Latest update on our lovely airport:
Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is the best airport of its size in the world, according to a survey by Airports Council International.
BWI ranked No. 1 for airports serving 15 million to 25 million passengers in the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) 2009 survey released Wednesday. The airport led the list of the top five mid-size airports, finishing ahead of Taipei, Shenzhen, New Delhi and Salt Lake City. In the ranking of the best airports by number of passengers served, BWI was the only U.S. airport to place first in any size category. BWI was not ranked in any category in the 2008 ASQ survey.
"We continue working to give residents, businesses and travelers in Maryland and the National Capital region a world-class travel experience at BWI Marshall Airport," said Gov. Martin O'Malley in a press release.
The rankings are based on 275,000 questionnaires completed at more than 100 airports worldwide, with a minimum of 1,400 passengers interviewed at each airport. The survey asks passengers to rate airports based on ambiance, cleanliness of the terminal, comfort of the waiting areas, availability and cleanliness of bathrooms, helpfulness of the airport staff, business lounges, ease of making connections, passport / ID inspection experience and shopping facilities.
The survey also ranked the best airports by region. Austin-Bergstrom International in Texas was named the top airport in North America. The ranking of the best airports worldwide was dominated by Asia-Pacific airports with South Korea's Incheon (ICN) Airport placing first for the fifth year in a row, followed by Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing and Hyderabad.