Houston – Once again, Houston Airports earned high honors in several categories at the Skytrax 2022 World Airport Awards, including the distinguished 5-star Airport accolade which was officially presented to William P. Hobby Airport.  

"It is our job to deliver the highest level of customer service daily. We don't do that for accolades; we do it because we value each passenger and take pride in Houston's airports. Therefore, I  am truly delighted that passengers have resoundingly affirmed the outstanding performance of our staff and partners," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said. "The Skytrax honors testify firsthand to the dedication and commitment of our team. We appreciate the world's trust in us, and we can assure everyone that we will continue to provide the best experience worldwide."   

William P. Hobby Airport received one of the top honors at the awards ceremony with a noteworthy recognition as the Best Regional Airport in North America. Previously, in January 2022, Hobby Airport was certified as the first 5-star airport in North America by Skytrax, the international air transport rating organization. During the 2022 World Airport Awards, Skytrax officials presented the official 5-star plaque to Houston Airports representatives in attendance. There are only sixteen 5-star rated airports in the world. 

“We congratulate William P. Hobby Airport for their success in winning this most important award as the Best Regional Airport in North America,” said Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax. “With air travel quickly returning to a more normal level, the challenge to deliver the highest standards is being met here at Hobby Airport.” 

Hobby Airport also climbed in the World’s Top 100 list and achieved the second-highest ranking among U.S airports in that category, climbing to #33 in the world. Additionally, Hobby ranked third in the Best Airport in North America rankings and fourth in the Cleanest Airports in North America category. It also made the Top 10 list for Best Airport Staff in North America with a seventh-place finish. 

Bush Airport achieved the #36 ranking among the World’s Top 100 list of airports and placed as the third-highest ranking among U.S airports on the list, right under Hobby Airport. Similarly, Bush Airport ranked fourth in the Best Airports in North America category, just below Hobby Airport. Out of the ten Best World Airports in the 30 to 40 million passenger range Bush Airport ranked third. Bush Airport finished in second place in the World’s Best Website and Digital Services rankings and in tenth place in the Best Airport Staff in North America list. 

“We have a remarkable team of people who will never take the trust of the traveling public for granted, and these awards demonstrate that unparalleled commitment to excellence once again,” Houston Airports Director Mario Diaz said. “As we move forward with major undertakings like the IAH Terminal Redevelopment Program (ITRP) at Bush Airport, we will continue to make the investments in our passengers and in our city. This is proof-positive that those investments are working. We want to give our guests a 5-star experience every single time they travel through one of our airports.”  

Again, this year Houston was the only U.S city to have two airports in the Best Airports in North America and Cleanest Airports categories. In this year’s airport awards, Houston also got the distinction of having both its commercial airports in the Best Airport Staff in North America.  

“Mayor Turner, the Houston City Council, and Director Diaz have been very steadfast in their support of our efforts to continually improve Houston Airports,” said Houston Airports Chief Terminal Management Officer Liliana Rambo. “Cliché aside, this was a total team effort that required everyone to go above and beyond the call of duty. And they did! I would be remiss if I didn’t also thank our airport partners for their open dialogue, great work, and wonderful cooperation with us as we work daily to ensure our guests have a world-class traveling experience.”  

The Skytrax World Airport Awards rankings are based on an annual airport customer survey for the Passenger’s Choice Awards that was conducted from September 2021 until May 2022. The awards ceremony took place at Passenger Terminal EXPO in Paris. Considered by many to be among the most prestigious quality accolades in the airport industry, the awards ceremonies were attended by presidents, CEOs, and senior management officials from airports throughout the world.  

ABOUT HOUSTON AIRPORTS   
Houston Airports is the City of Houston’s Department of Aviation. Comprised of George Bush Intercontinental Airport, IAH, William P. Hobby Airport, HOU, and Ellington Airport/Houston Spaceport, EFD, Houston Airports served 45 million passengers in 2021 and nearly 60 million in 2019. Houston Airports forms one of North America’s largest public airport systems and positions Houston as the international passenger and cargo gateway to the South-Central United States and as a primary gateway to Latin America. Houston’s Hobby Airport is the first and only 5-star airport in North America and Bush Airport maintained an exceptional 4-star rating for a fifth consecutive year.  Fly2houston.com     

THE WORLD AIRPORT AWARDS  
The World Airport Awards began in 1999, when Skytrax launched its first global, airport customer satisfaction survey. They are regarded as a quality benchmark for the world airport industry, assessing customer service and facilities across over 500 airports.  

There is no entry fee or any type of payment by an airport (or other third parties) to be included in the survey or awards, with the survey and awards process fully funded by Skytrax. 

Award Winners for 2022