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-Published: Tuesday, September 24,
2019-
Juan Santamaría Airport recognized as the one with the most major improvements By the A.M. Costa Rica staff Juan Santamaría International Airport, in the province of Alajuela*, was named as the one with the best improvement in all of Latin America and the Caribbean zone, according to the World Summit of Customer Experience, which was held in Bali Indonesia. The Airport Service Quality award is awarded by the International Airport Council. They analyze 346 airports worldwide. The results were obtained from monthly passenger evaluations, and available in boarding rooms in airport waiting areas. According to Aeris, the company in charge of managing the airport, the periodic measurements made by the Council, determined aspects of improvement in the terminals, established a ranking and provided an annual average that placed Juan Santamaría in first place in the category of Major Improvement, among the 36 airports in the region. "We received this award as part of the recognition of the dedicated work of our staff," said Rafael Mencía, Executive Director of AERIS. "We have incorporated modern infrastructure and technology, which together with the work of the Directorate of Migration and Air Surveillance, allows for simple processes and agility that satisfies the passenger experience and national security.” This program evaluates the satisfaction of the passengers through 37 valuation items. Some of the most outstanding were time of check-in, waiting for security inspections, passport inspection, cleaning and availability of bathrooms, parking facilities, ground transportation, and courtesy and collaboration of the terminal staff. According to Aeris, another improvement made was the availability of free Wi-Fi throughout the terminal, with 100 percent coverage and the possibility of the user staying connected for up to three hours. In 2018, the airport was rated as #8 by the organization. As A.M. Costa Rica reported on May 15th, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that Costa Rica does not comply with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards and has been assigned a Category 2 rating based on a reassessment of the country's civil aviation authority. A Category 2 International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) rating means the country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards, or its civil aviation authority - a body equivalent to the FAA for aviation safety matters - is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping, or inspection procedures. With a Category 2 rating, Costa Rica's carriers can continue existing service to the United States but they will not be allowed to establish a new service to the United States. In 1996, Costa Rica was assigned an initial Category 1 rating, meaning the country's General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) complied with ICAO standards for aviation safety oversight. The FAA conducted an in-country reassessment of Costa Rica under the IASA program in October 2018 and met with the DGAC in February 2019 to discuss the results. As part of the FAA's IASA program, the agency assesses the civil aviation authorities of all countries with air carriers that have applied to fly to the United States, currently conduct operations to the United States, or participate in code-sharing arrangements with U.S. partner airlines, and makes that information available to the public. The assessments determine whether or not foreign civil aviation authorities are meeting ICAO safety standards, not FAA regulations. A Category 1 rating means the country's civil aviation authority complies with ICAO standards. With an IASA Category 1 rating, a country's air carriers can establish service to the United States and carry the code of U.S. carriers. To maintain a Category 1 rating, a country must adhere to the safety standards of ICAO, the United Nations' technical agency for aviation that establishes international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance. ------------------------ How would you rate the facilities at Juan Santamaría airport? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
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