The Tribune

Upgraded airport facilities and changes to the Nassau Airport Development Company’s (NAD’s) staffing structure have led to higher passenger satisfaction scores at the Bahamas’ major airport.

The 2012 fourth quarter Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey results at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) show an increase in the overall satisfaction category from 3.91 in the third quarter to 4.21. The rating is out of a possible 5 point maximum.

NAD attributed the improvement to the fact that more than 80 per cent of LPIA’s users now have an arrivals and departures experience in new facilities.

“We anticipated a bump in overall satisfaction numbers when we opened the International Arrivals terminal in October 2012. Now, the bulk of our passengers travelling to Nassau/Paradise Island by air (primarily American) have a completely transformed airport experience on arrival and departure,” said Vernice Walkine, NAD’s president and chief executive.

A major jump in scores related specifically to the airport environment. In the ‘Cleanliness of Airport Terminal’ category, LPIA moved from a rating of 3.96 to 4.28, and in ‘Overall Ambiance’ there was a rise from 3.78 to 4.13.

Ms Walkine said NAD’s decision last fall to bring cleaning services in-house accounts for the improved scores.

“It’s no surprise people are more relaxed in cleaner environments. We wanted to ensure that the cleaning staff understood their role in our success, and made the decision to bring the services in-house,” Ms Walkine said.

“This not only created some new permanent jobs at NAD, but it also allowed us to train cleaners and indoctrinate them into our corporate culture. Immediately, we saw the improvement in service levels and now have the numbers to back this decision.”

NAD adopted the ASQ surveys in 2011 as a way to benchmark itself with other airports in the Caribbean and those of similar size (serving two-five million passengers per year) in the world.

With major infrastructural development finishing in the fall, NAD is now focused on its goal of improving current scores and pushing LPIA to the position of a ‘top three’ airport in the region in the next three years.