ACI Europe unveils 2025 Best Airport Award winners at annual Athens gala ceremony

GREECE. ACI Europe revealed the winners of its annual Best Airport Awards during the 35th ACI Europe Annual Congress and General Assembly’s Gala Dinner held yesterday (19 June) in Athens. The event was hosted by Athens International Airport.

The Best Airport Awards recognise performance and progress across airports of all sizes – from Europe’s largest hubs to key regional gateways.  

With passenger numbers now exceeding pre-pandemic levels and continued growth forecast for 2025, airports are navigating operational pressures alongside challenges in sustainability, security, passenger experience, financial resilience and staff wellbeing. 

This year’s theme, ‘the challenges of growth’, highlighted how airports are responding to shifting demands and market conditions. 

In addition to the main awards, four category-specific honours were presented: the Digital Transformation Award, Eco-Innovation Award, HR Excellence Award and World Business Partner Recognition. 

Award for Exceptional Resilience 

Winner: Ukrainian airports 

In a surprise announcement, ACI Europe presented a special Award for Exceptional Resilience to Ukrainian airports. The recognition acknowledges their ongoing efforts to maintain infrastructure and operational readiness despite the closure of national airspace and the loss of air connectivity. 

Amid war-inflicted damages and the absence of operating revenue, Ukrainian airports have continued supporting staff and preserving facilities. ACI Europe said the award reflects the solidarity of the wider European airport community during an unprecedented hardship. 

Digital Transformation Award  

Winner: Munich Airport  

The Digital Transformation Award, an initiative of the SESAR Joint Undertaking in collaboration with ACI Europe, recognises a European airport that has embraced digitalisation and adopted innovative technologies and procedures to improve the safety, capacity, efficiency and environmental footprint of its operations.  

Munich Airport impressed judges with a wide range of technologies that have enhanced both passenger experience and operational efficiency, including service robots and AI for turnaround management.  

Through a strategic focus on digital transformation and ecosystem collaboration, the airport has positioned itself as a leader in digital aviation. 

Highly Commended: Athens International Airport 

Eco-Innovation Award 

Winner: Maastricht Aachen Airport

The Eco-Innovation Award commends an airport that has demonstrated outstanding environmental performance and an innovative approach to environmental management.  

ACI Europe received a record number of applications in the category this year; demonstrating the airport industry’s proactive approach to reducing its impact on the environment. 

This year’s winner, Maastricht Aachen Airport, was highly praised for its project Electrifly – a fully electric door-to-door international travel experience.  

The jury was impressed with the ambitious and innovative aspects of the project, charting the way forward for zero-emission air transport, in collaboration with a wide array of stakeholders.  

Its efforts serve as a blueprint for other airports to emulate in advancing multimodal journeys, including fully electric flights. 

Highly Commended: Avinor Stavanger Airport

HR Excellence Award 

Winner: Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport 

The HR Excellence Award recognises an airport HR department that has demonstrated excellence in managing human resources and developing the workforce for the future. This year, the applications were judged with a special focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). 

Lyon Airport’s winning application demonstrated genuine commitment to DEI. Its HR department set out a comprehensive plan to identify, monitor and improve its DEI policies, with judges noting the project demonstrated both an individual and collective leadership approach in an inclusive workplace. 

World Business Partner Award  

Winner: To70 Aviation Commercial Lead Europe Ella Soltani

This award recognises an ACI Europe World Business Partner, either individual or company, that has made significant contributions to the industry. It commends the exemplary efforts made by the World Business Partner community and the value they provide to ACI Europe as a whole. 

The winner, Ella Soltani of To70 Aviation, has been a reliable and trustworthy contributor to many of ACI Europe’s activities. Her involvement in the Environmental Strategy Committee and the Stargate Project, as well as her active participation in several industry conferences and events, stood out.  

Soltani regularly took on the role of moderator and facilitator in key discussions centred on sustainability, demonstrating both exceptional energy and strong technical expertise. 

Best Airport Award – under 5 million passengers 

Winner: Cork Airport

Cork Airport demonstrated strong performance across a range of metrics – including a period of booming passenger growth (+10% year-on-year) – while enhancing operational efficiency, passenger experience and environmental responsibility. 

The airport has also made notable strides in sustainability, achieving the best-performing commercial semi-state body in the Republic of Ireland two years in succession for carbon reduction. 

Highly Commended: Tallinn Airport

Best Airport Award – 5-10 million passengers 

Winner: Vasil Levski Sofia Airport

The winner impressed judges with what they described as a “compelling, ambitious and well-structured” transformation strategy, including efforts to support human capital development and strengthen connections with local communities. 

Judges also praised Vasil Levski Sofia Airport’s ambitious plans for, and current progress towards, net zero by 2036. 

Highly Commended: Larnaka International Airport 

Best Airport Award – 10-25 million passengers 

Winner: Hamburg Airport 

This year’s winner was particularly commended for a long-term focus on digital processes, enhanced passenger comfort and initiatives aimed at securing a carbon-free future. 

Alongside route and airline growth, the airport is on track to become its country’s first CO₂-free metropolitan airport – powered by its own wind farm and green district heating. 

Highly Commended: Milano Linate Airport 

Best Airport Award – 25-40 million passengers 

Winner: Athens International Airport 

Noted for its ability to address its challenges head on through strategic strengths, winner Athens International Airport was applauded for constantly pushing itself to be better.  

ACI Europe noted, “Having tackled seasonality and scaled new heights in terms of destination promotion through collaborations with key aviation and tourism stakeholders, they are truly unmatched winners in this category.” 

Best Airport Award – over 40 million passengers 

Winner: Rome Fiumicino ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ Airport 

Rome Fiumicino Airport, managed by Aeroporti di Roma (part of the Mundys Group), was awarded this title for the seventh time since 2018. According to ACI Europe, the airport’s continued commitment to excellence makes them worthy of taking the title multiple times. 

Rome Fiumicino Airport was particularly commended by judges on the environmental front, with this year’s launch of Europe’s largest self-consumption solar farm – producing 30 GWh/year and cutting over 11,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.  

A data-driven approach to airport management and reinforced commitment to stakeholder collaboration sealed its continued recognition. 

In the first five months of the year, Rome Fiumicino has recorded a passenger traffic increase of +7% compared to the same period in 2024. 

Aeroporti di Roma CEO Marco Troncone said, “With this year’s award, we consolidate a European primacy, which for us means continuing to maintain those levels of excellence that position us globally. 

“First, it is essential to thank all our people – members of a team that has almost doubled in size in the last 12 years – who, with their competence and dedication, are the true secret behind this victory.  

“A heartfelt thanks also goes to ENAC, ENAV, police bodies, the entire airport community and our passengers. 

“We are seeing strong growth in traffic towards our country, which makes the future look promising. But at the same time, it highlights growing challenges to maintain the levels of capacity and quality needed to fully and promptly seize this opportunity.  

“For this reason, we are ready to launch the new €9 billion airport development plan, a great stimulus for the competitiveness and economic growth of our country, to continue playing a leading role in the sector at the European and global levels.” 

Highly Commended: London Heathrow Airport