Senai International Airport bags APAC regional airport of the year

By TMR

Senai International Airport bagged a top award at the CAPA Asia Pacific Aviation Awards for Excellence 2018 in part for its leading role in using new biometrics technology.

Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd (SATSSB), which owns and manages the airport, was named the Asia Pacific Regional Airport of the Year 2018 for the under 10 million annual passengers category at the aviation industry awards in Singapore last week.

The Johor-based airport, which welcomed its first three million passengers in 2017, was selected for its leading role in using new biometrics technology and its support of the low-cost carrier (LCC) model which has driven rapid growth, according to a statement from SATSSB.

“Senai International Airport has had tremendous growth and emerged as a leader in airport technology, while operating in the shadow of the much larger Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Singapore Changi Airport,” CAPA executive chairman Peter Harbison said at the award ceremony.

“Senai has developed a close, win-win relationship with AirAsia Group Bhd, positioning it for more rapid growth and providing a model for other small airports in the region seeking to attract LCC hubs,” he was quo- ted as saying in the same statement.

CAPA, or Centre for Aviation, provides market aviation and travel industry information.

The CAPA Aviation Awards for Excellence is regarded as the pre-eminent awards for strategic excellence in aviation. It annually holds two awards, one for Asia Pacific, including the Middle East, and another for the global industry.

The awards are intended to reward airlines and airports that are not only successful, but also provide industry leadership in adjusting to a new environment. The awards are independently researched by a panel of judges and not driven by customer surveys or sponsorship, according to CAPA.

In the statement, SATSSB chairman Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh said the award signified the airport’s presence in the aviation industry and recognised its unwavering efforts in providing value-added services for customers and passengers.

SATSSB is a member of MMC Group, in which Che Khalib is the group MD. The award was received by SATSSB CEO Md Derick Basir.

In early 2018, Senai International Airport became the first airport in Asia to implement AirAsia’s Fast Airport Clearance Experience System, a biometrics technology providing a seamless self-service travel experience from check-in to boarding gates.

By embracing the new technology, the airport said it has improved its customer service and operations efficiency, enabling it to accommodate further rapid growth.

Senai International Airport is connected to 12 domestic and seven international destinations. — TMR