Fiumicino airport in Rome makes history with its latest award, after one of the most difficult years ever for the air travel sector.

Rome's Fiumicino airport, known officially as Leonardo da Vinci, has been rated Europe's Best Airport for the quality of its services - for the fourth year in a row.

The recognition is awarded by Airports Council International (ACI), the international association that interviews passengers to measure perceived quality in over 350 airports all over the world.

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The award, in the category of hubs with over 40 million passengers, is the first time in the history of ACI surveys that the same airport wins the top prize for four consecutive years.

Aeroporti di Roma (AdR), the company that manages Rome's airports, said the recognition - the latest in a string of awards - makes Fiumicino "one of the most recognised airports in the world in the fight against covid-19."

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Indeed Fiumicino's response to the coronavirus pandemic saw it achieve particularly high marks, earning a score of 4.47 out of a maximum 5 points from ACI.

Among the services most appreciated by Fiumicino's passengers are the cleanliness of the terminals, the clarity of information to the public, the courtesy of the staff, the waiting time at security checks and the facilities at the airport.

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"The result achieved once again confirms the superior service levels offered to passengers by the Leonardo da Vinci" - said AdR CEO Marco Troncone - "and fits perfectly into our strategy focused on excellence in quality and safety, as well as sustainability and innovation."

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Troncone said that AdR "continues determined on its journey of quality and responds to the challenges of the epidemiological crisis with responsibility and vitality, as proven by the role played on the vaccine front and the launch of new travel protocols on international Covid Tested flights, a safe and innovative system to support the recovery of air traffic, which is strategic for the country."

The airport's good news was also celebrated by Rome's mayor Virginia Raggi who congratulated "all the workers who have always guaranteed an efficient and quality service."

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Fiumicino, which recently celebrated 60 years, has been to the forefront in Europe in dealing with the coronavirus crisis, opening a major covid-19 vaccination hub last month.

Last September it became the first airport in the world to obtain the "COVID-19 5-Star Airport Rating" from Skytrax, the principal rating and assessment company in the international airport sector.

Photo credit: Alessia Pierdomenico / Shutterstock.com.

Fiumicino è il miglior aeroporto europeo per qualità dei servizi per il quarto anno consecutivo!
Anche nel 2020 ha ricevuto il premio di @ACIWorld fra gli scali europei con oltre 40 milioni di passeggeri all’anno. pic.twitter.com/MuovxrSPr2

— Aeroporti di Roma (@AeroportidiRoma) March 1, 2021