KANSAS CITY, MO – Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA), the trade association representing commercial service airports in the United States and Canada, announced the recipients of the 2025 Excellence in Airport Marketing, Communications, and Customer Experience Awards. Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), the airport with the most overall recognition across categories, received the 2025 Peggy G. Hereford Award for Overall Excellence.
“The recipients of these awards demonstrate unparalleled customer experience and community engagement through their extensive marketing and communications efforts,” said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke. “ACI-NA commends each winner for their dedication and hard work, including the Asheville Regional Airport as the recipient of the 2025 Peggy G. Hereford Award. The AVL team’s commitment to enhancing the air travel experience for all passengers is truly inspiring, and they are highly deserving of this honor.”
With nearly 400 entries in 28 categories, this year’s awards highlight the top airports across North America and recognize the important work of their airport staff to creatively market, amplify, and communicate their airport’s customer service capabilities and initiatives.
Since its formation in 1990, the Excellence in Airport Marketing, Communications, and Customer Experience Awards have recognized the quality of work, abundance of talent, and creativity within the airport industry’s marketing, communications, and customer experience fields.
2025 Award Winners
Annual Reports
This category recognizes the annual report that best projects a positive image for the airport through well-written and well-organized content, excellent design, and well-conceived overall packaging.
The 2025 winner for Annual Reports is Gerald R. Ford International Airport.
Brand Identity
The winner in this category best demonstrates the visible elements of an airport’s brand that together identify and distinguish the brand in the minds of airport passengers.
The 2025 winner for Brand Identity is Asheville Regional Airport.
Digital Advertising
The winner in this category demonstrates the best in web and social media advertising that promotes the airport, including giveaways, contests, and other promotional initiatives.
The 2025 winner for Digital Advertising is the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
Partnering with Carriers
The aviation industry’s ever-changing nature has created opportunities for airports and airlines to collaborate. The winner in this category best demonstrates how the airport has cooperated with airlines for the good of both entities and the community.
The 2025 winner for Partnering with Carriers is Vancouver International Airport.
Print Communications
This category recognizes excellence in brochures and print advertising to highlight a specific event, industry segment, or special offer.
The 2025 winner for Print Communications is Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Promotional Items
This category recognizes successful results of using merchandise to promote the airport or a specific initiative.
The 2025 winner for Promotional Items is Asheville Regional Airport.
Radio Advertising
The winner in this category best demonstrates the usage of radio advertising to promote a specific event, airport service, industry segment, or special offer.
The 2025 winner for Radio Advertising is Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.
Video and Film Production
This category recognizes the best overall production of an airport video, film, web commercial, or television commercial.
The 2025 Video and Film Production winner is Asheville Regional Airport.
Community Education and Outreach
This category recognizes airports with the most creative and effective community outreach and aviation education programs conducted online, inside, or outside the airport.
The 2025 winner for Community and Education Outreach is Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.
Special Events
The winner in this category best demonstrates the completion of a unique special event to promote the airport within a community.
The 2025 winner for Special Events is Indianapolis International Airport.
Responsive Communications
The winner in this category best demonstrates successful communications surrounding any irregular or otherwise unscheduled operation or event, either internal or external.
The 2025 winner for Responsive Communications is Seattle–Tacoma International Airport.
Social Media Campaigns
This category recognizes campaigns that connect people through social media and allow them to be integrated into a product, service, or overall airport experience.
The 2025 winner for Social Media Campaigns is Ontario International Airport.
Newsletters
The winner in this category best demonstrates how internal and/or external newsletters can educate or inform about airport initiatives.
The 2025 winner for Newsletters is Los Angeles World Airports, which operates Los Angeles International Airport and Van Nuys Airport.
Websites
This category recognizes outstanding websites from a design, communications, accessibility, and navigation standpoint.
The 2025 winner for Websites is Orlando International Airport.
Customer Experience Through People
This category recognizes innovative initiatives and strategies that foster employee engagement, motivation and overall satisfaction to better align with your airport’s customer experience vision.
The 2025 winner for Customer Experience Through People is Philadelphia International Airport.
Customer Experience Technology Innovation
This category recognizes passenger-facing technological innovations inside and outside the terminal, including mobile websites, mobile apps, and other innovations with the best overall design, functionality, and clarity.
The 2025 winner for Customer Experience Technology Innovation is Vancouver International Airport.
Partnering with Concessionaires or Service Providers
As airports work to enhance the customer experience, this category recognizes excellence when airports and concessionaires/service providers work together.
The 2025 winner for Partnering with Concessionaires or Service Providers is Seattle–Tacoma International Airport.
Advancements in Accessibility
This category recognizes innovations in accessibility that improve the experience for all travelers. Advancements can range from improved staff training and best practices, infrastructure and design, to assistive technologies.
The 2025 winner for Advancements in Accessibility is Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport.
Customer Experience Programs
The winner in this category best demonstrates how new elements to current programs or new programs developed in the customer service arena have significantly enhanced the overall passenger experience at the airport. This award is presented in three categories: Large Airport, Medium Airport, and Small Airport.
The 2025 winners for Customer Experience Programs are Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (Large Airport), Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (Medium Airport), and Tulsa International Airport (Small Airport).
Marketing Programs
The winner in this category best demonstrates how marketing programs help define an airport’s product or service and create a strategy for communicating the message that will produce growth. This award is presented in three categories: Large Airport, Medium Airport, and Small Airport.
The 2025 winners for Overall Marketing Programs are Vancouver International Airport (Large Airport), Norfolk International Airport (Medium Airport), and Asheville Regional Airport (Small Airport).
Public Relations Programs
The winner in this category best demonstrates how a public relations program can be a planned effort to improve the airport’s image in the public eye. This award is presented in three categories: Large Airport, Medium Airport, and Small Airport.
The 2025 winners for Public Relations Programs are Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (Large Airport), Edmonton International Airport (Medium Airport), and Fort McMurray International Airport (Small Airport).
Best in Airport Partnerships
This award recognizes the value of partnerships between airports when undertaking marketing, public relations, and customer experience initiatives. Winners demonstrate how airport teams worked together to plan and execute initiatives within the marketing, public relations, or customer experience discipline areas.
The 2025 winners for Best in Airport Partnerships are Asheville Regional Airport, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Piedmont Triad International Airport, Wilmington International Airport, Charleston International Airport, McGhee Tyson Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, and Gulfport–Biloxi International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, in support of Hurricane Helene relief efforts in the Asheville, North Carolina region.
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