For Second Year, Airlines Rate Copenhagen Airport as World’s Best for Route Development

Airlines from around the world voted Copenhagen Airport was awarded the world’s best airport to acquire new air routes at the World Routes aviation conference in Durban, marking the second time in three years that Copenhagen Airport receives the world’s best airport for route development rating.

The conference was attended by approximately 2,500 representatives from 250 airlines, 650 airports and 170 tourism organisations around the world, meeting to discuss and negotiate the development of new air routes.

After sharing second place last year, Copenhagen Airport regained its first place prize this Monday night in the world’s best route development category for ‘airports between 20 and 50 million passengers’.

Copenhagen Airport beat the international airports of Abu Dhabi, Brussels, Dublin, Munich and Vienna to the top spot.

“It is incredibly important for Copenhagen and Denmark, that airlines once again have chosen us as the world’s best airport for route development,” says Thomas Woldbye, CEO of Copenhagen Airports A/S. “It is a recognition of the great outreach work we are doing to develop and present business cases for the airlines. I am proud and honoured that we have won the title of world’s best twice and that we have been nominated three times.”

Growth in Air Services

An analysis from Copenhagen Economics has previously demonstrated that international air service has a social value of up to 200 million DKK, encouraging more business and leisure travelers to the country, the airport reports. A recent Oxford Research study, carried out in preparation of a report supporting Copenhagen Airport’s growth strategy, found that expanding CPH by growing the number of routes, could correspond to growth of 40 million passengers at Copenhagen Airport creating up to 84,000 new jobs nationwide. Copenhagen Airport uses these figures to support its argument that international flight routes have huge social significance in Denmark, explaining why it has focused on attracting new international routes to the country.

“The growth, jobs and investment created by International routes makes for heavy competition between airports, which has intensified over the last 10-15 years. It is a great accolade for us that we now have twice in three years been voted best for route development, ” says Ole Wieth Christensen, Route Development Manager at Copenhagen Airport. “One of the reasons that we emphasise this prize as a very high honour is that the airlines chose the winners. Therefore, the selection is an indication that the airlines believe our analysis, route data, and proposals for the development of new and existing routes, and find them very useful.”

Featured Image: Representatives from Copenhagen Airport Receive their Recognition by global airlines as World’s Best Airport for Routes Development/CPH