SKYTRAX WINNERS Musqueam master carvers. Created in August 2023, the canoe became the centerpiece of the first dedicated space in an airport terminal that was dedicated to Musqueam culture and history. The Houston Airport System also found the artistic route yielded impressive results. It welcomed a record 60.1 million passengers in 2024 and won the Best Art in an Airport award for the second year in a row. On top of this, one of its airports, William P. Hobby Airport, was declared the Best Regional Airport in North America for a third consecutive year. Liliana Rambo, chief terminal management and administration officer at Houston Airports, reveals, “Our Artist in Residence program, live musical performances, art galleries and memorable Art Ambassador program provide passengers with an immersive cultural experience that sets us apart. To ensure this, Houston Airports hired an art curator with deep knowledge of the art world and the local art community, enabling us to create a program that genuinely represents Houston. We’ve now curated an award-winning art collection, commissioning 10 new pieces during the global pandemic.” Even with William P. Hobby Airport’s smaller budget, the organization’s tenacious approach and human focus dominated its competition. “With limited resources, we had to be exceptionally strategic, ensuring that every dollar invested was maximized for impact,” Rambo continues. “We’ve invested in Houston Airports received 1,051 applications for its pandemic art program 36 inflated steel clouds at William P. Hobby Airport Houston Airports hosted two artists-in-residence in 2023 ABOVE RIGHT BELOW cultivating our customer service team – hiring more staff and developing and implementing a detailed training program – which supports extended hours and additional employees for essential services such as Lost and Found and Custodial. This investment in personnel results from a carefully budgeted, multi-year plan and ensures that, even in challenging situations, we can turn a negative experience into a positive one.” Staff excellence One airport uniquely positioned to advise on how to deliver this ever-important customer service is El Dorado International in Bogota, Colombia, which was not only voted the Best Airport in South America once again at the 2024 Skytrax awards, but was also recognized for having the Best Airport Staff in South America. To achieve these staff accolades, the airport established a training program called the School of Service. This initiative was based on the motto ‘Uno Contigo’, which means ‘together with you’. The school offers a variety of modules, equipping the team with a range of service tools. However, for this airport, delivering the best staff service is all about smoothing the passenger journey in as many ways as possible. For example, in 2024 the airport developed an artificial intelligence bot called DoraBot. This assistant not only provides real-time flight SHOWCASE 2025 With limited resources , we had to be exceptionally strategic Liliana Rambo, Houston Airports www.PassengerTerminalToday.com Passenger Terminal World 21
Passenger Terminal World Passenger Terminal World Annual Showcase 2025: Page 21
