Our Role Assessing New Trends in the Airport Business

VTM is proud to always be at the forefront of the ever-evolving airport industry. With the start of this new year of 2025, Airports Council International (ACI) is unveiling insights from its globally recognized Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Survey Program in a live webinar titled “New Trends and Impact in the Airport Business” – you can check it out here.

As a trusted partner of the entity that manages the vast majority of airports in Portugal, VTM is deeply involved in executing this vital ASQ Survey Program across the five major Portuguese airports, giving us unparalleled experience in understanding and addressing the nuances of airport operations.

Expertise through a very diverse experience

Airports in Portugal serve millions of passengers annually, each bringing unique expectations and passenger experiences. Our team at VTM carries out fieldwork and subsequent analysis for the ASQ Survey Program at the following airports:

• More than 30M Pax – Lisbon Airport (LIS): As Portugal’s largest and busiest hub, Lisbon serves a diverse mix of international travelers, business passengers, and tourists.
• Around 15M Pax – Porto Airport (OPO): A critical gateway for the north of the Iberian Peninsula, with a mix of leisure/VFR and business passengers. This airport is a recurrent winner of ASQ Survey Program awards in its category.
• Almost 10M Pax – Faro Airport (FAO): A popular destination for holiday travelers, particularly during peak seasons, Faro airport has massive seasonality.
• Around 5M Pax – Madeira Airport (FNC): Operating under unique geographic and meteorological conditions, this airport exemplifies operational resilience and excellence.
• Below 5M Pax – Ponta Delgada Airport (PDL): Serving as gateway to all the Azores Islands, PDL caters to a niche but growing passenger base with distinct regional characteristics.

These five airports vary significantly in scale, operational complexity, passenger profiles, and seasonal dynamics. This diversity offers VTM an extremely rich framing to apply our expertise, adapting to varying challenges, and gathering useful insights that enhance our understanding of global airport trends. You can learn a little bit more about our role in this project here on our website.

Our role within the ASQ Survey Program involves monthly and quarterly quality audits to review data collection, which airports shall pass to be eligible for the annual rankings and awards. Additionally, VTM helps airports follow strict fieldwork rules, fully complying with ASQ guidelines and with the minimum criteria stated for data collection, as presented in the requirements below.

Source: ACI

The importance of the ASQ Survey

The ASQ Survey Program is a globally recognized benchmark for passenger satisfaction, which was designed and is globally managed by ACI, counting nearly 400 participating airports in 95 countries. It evaluates over 30 key performance indicators (KPIs) across all touchpoints of the passenger journey, from check-in to boarding in Departures and from deboarding to baggage collection in Arrivals.

By conducting fieldwork for the Portuguese airports, we ensure that passenger feedback is collected meticulously and that the data reflects real-time insights into service quality and passenger expectations. This feedback empowers airport managers to stay competitive and allows us, at VTM, to gain firsthand exposure to the latest developments in airport operations and passenger behavior, along with other projects that we have currently ongoing.

Keeping up with industry trends

The upcoming ACI webinar offers a golden opportunity to delve into the latest trends shaping the airport business. Nonetheless, if you do not have the chance to attend this event and need more regular support regarding Aviation and Airports trends, VTM is your ideal partner.

Here at VTM, we see our participation in the ASQ Survey Program as something deeper than just data-gathering and data-analysis exercises. It’s a chance to immerse ourselves in the pulse of the global aviation industry, ensuring that we remain not just observers but active contributors to its evolution.

Why VTM?

Our hands-on experience across airports of varying scales and profiles gives us unique perceptions into the complex dynamics of airport operations. We’re excited to keep growing, learning, and contributing to the success of our Clients, and to remain at the cutting edge of the airport business.

Our expertise positions VTM as a valuable partner for any airport manager aiming to enhance passenger experience and align airport service with industry trends. If you are interested in the ASQ Survey Program or in need of strategic guidance to make your airport business thrive, please feel free to reach out.

Stay tuned for updates and insights from our ongoing work!