Fiumicino among a handful of airports in the world to be awarded Skytrax global benchmark of Airport Excellence.

Rome's Fiumicino airport has been awarded the highest 5-Star Airport Rating from Skytrax, the principal rating and assessment company in the international airport sector.

Fiumicino, known officially as Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, is only the 12th airport in the world to achieve the prestigious recognition from the London-based organisation.

The 5-Star rating is the highest mark of quality distinction from Skytrax which carried out in-depth studies of Fiumicino's terminal services and facilities during 2022.

The rating recognises "very high standards of Product and Staff service" across the various assessment categories, the Skytrax website states.

L’aeroporto di Fiumicino ha ottenuto le 5 stelle Skytrax, massimo riconoscimento assegnato dall'organizzazione internazionale di rating del trasporto aereo. La valutazione riconosce standard eccellenti nella qualità del servizio erogato ai passeggeri e nell’attività del personale pic.twitter.com/SA4sf4BGu0

— Aeroporti di Roma (@AeroportidiRoma) January 26, 2023

Praising the "very broad range of customer experience upgrades" at Fiumicino over the past two years, Skytrax singled out "the opening of the latest Concourse A departure gate area for Schengen flights, enhanced security processing areas, new immigration infrastructure, and widely revamped F&B (food and beverage) and shopping facilities."

The rating recognised the "very good operational function of the terminal for Schengen and extra-Schengen departures, arrivals, and transfer", with Skytrax noting that security and immigration processing "are delivered efficiently to passengers".

Highlighting the airport's "fabulous interior design concept", Skytrax concluded that Fiumicino delivers "a very robust and consistent standard of cleanliness and presentation in all customer facing areas".

Fiumicino is one of 12 airports in the world to gain this achievement - rubbing shoulders with hubs including Tokyo, Singapore and Seoul - and the second in Europe after Munich.

"Congratulations to Aeroporti di Roma and all the staff for this new and important recognition that makes the whole city proud", Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri wrote on Twitter.

Complimenti ad @AeroportidiRoma e a tutto il personale per questo nuovo e importante riconoscimento che rende orgogliosa tutta la città. Lo scalo internazionale di Fiumicino sarà sempre più strategico per le sfide che #Roma ha davanti. https://t.co/pPO05rPJ3X

— Roberto Gualtieri (@gualtierieurope) January 26, 2023

“Rome Fiumicino Airport has maintained a very clear plan of front line quality improvement over the last 6-7 years, and we are now seeing very tangible upgrades to passenger facilities and customer experience improvements" - said Edward Plaisted of Skytrax - "The level of detail in the changes is commendable, and the airport not only delivers a very good international standard of facilities, but importantly it gives a good sense of place for Rome, and more broadly for Italy.”

The honour from Skytax is the latest in a string of accolades for Fiumicino, including being rated Best European Airport last year, for the fourth time in the last five years.

• Rome's Fiumicino rated Best Airport in Europe for fourth time

Aeroporti di Roma CEO Marco Troncone said the Skytrax recognition "once again demonstrates the company’s efforts to build the airport of the future."

"Now that Fiumicino is fully in the league of the world’s best airports" - said Troncone - "we want to continue to improve standards of comfort and service to allow Rome and Italy to reaffirm their centrality on the international scene".