Thursday, March 21, 2024
Calgary International Airport took top honors at this year’s Routes Americas Awards, clinching the Overall Winner title and the award for the 5-20 million passenger category. In 2023, the airport welcomed a record-setting 18.5 million passengers, introduced 24 new routes, including ten to destinations previously not served, and added a new airline partner. This expansion was supported by a surge in demand that led to increased capacity on existing routes and several seasonal routes becoming available year-round.
Cindy Brown, Air Service Development Director at Calgary International Airport, said: “We are delighted to have been selected as the winners of this prestigious award. This accomplishment is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our teams at The Calgary Airport Authority to provide unparalleled support to our airline partners, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with them on new and exciting initiatives.”
Syracuse Hancock International Airport was awarded the best in the under 5 million passenger category after a year that saw a 12% increase in passenger numbers to 2.8 million. The airport also expanded its service offerings by adding new routes and reintroducing flights to Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Jason Terreri, Executive Director at SYR said: “It is an incredible honor to receive this award for our Air Service Development marketing activities at Syracuse Hancock International Airport. We strive to exceed our stakeholders’ expectations as a best-in-class airport, and we thank the Routes America Team for recognizing our efforts to best serve the air service needs of our region.”
Orlando International Airport won in the over 20 million passenger category following a significant increase in traffic and capacity, with passenger numbers reaching 58 million and available seats rising by 15%. The airport’s achievements include launching new international routes and expanding its global reach to 50 international destinations.
Juliana Pena, Assistant Vice President, Air Service at Orlando International Airport said: “This prestigious recognition by Routes Americas, a global organization that sets the benchmarks for air service development, is a strong testament to our work here at Orlando International Airport,” said Kevin J. Thibault, CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, which operates Orlando International Airport. “We are inspired by this award and will continue to push boundaries through innovative technology, partnerships, and services to enhance our operations and the customer journey.”
Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. was named the destination category winner, recognized for its success in significantly increasing air service frequencies, capacity, and gateways from the Americas, despite being one of the last Caribbean islands to lift COVID restrictions.
Eusi Skeete, Director at Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. said: “We are honoured to have won such a prestigious award. Our participation in Routes has been integral to our ability to cultivate important relationships with airlines and key Partners and provided a forum to position the destination as s viable option to key decision makers. As a destination, we remain committed to building strong partnerships and sustainable relationships with our airline partners and more importantly leverage our networks and relationships with other key partners across various sectors to stimulate demand, heighten the awareness of the destination through strategic partnerships and collaborations to ultimately make the destination more accessible for travellers, the ease of servicing the destination more seamless for our airline partners and ultimately building a framework that sets us up for long term success and profitability.”
Air Canada received the airline award, acknowledging its strategic network development and commitment to sustainable growth. The airline’s 2023 achievements include launching new routes in the U.S. and expanding international services, demonstrating a comprehensive approach to meeting market demands.
Mazin Elbushra, Director, Network Planning – North America at Air Canada said: “We are thrilled and honoured to receive the prestigious Routes Award in recognition of Air Canada’s work in sustainable network growth, innovative collaboration with airports and tourism boards, and our unwavering commitment to a strategic vision that propels us into the future. Air Canada’s business is connecting people and places. We continue to implement our strategy in building scale at our hubs, integrating our deep network across North America with our expanding and robust international network. Thank you to Routes for this recognition, and to our customers, valued partners, and dedicated employees who continue to inspire us to reach even greater heights together.”
The awards recognized excellence across several categories, with winners including:
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