Athens International Airport was honoured yesterday with the "Recognised for Excellence" Award of the European Foundation for Quality Management (E.F.Q.M.), acknowledging the level of business excellence and the quality of services of the Airport's Information Technology & Telecommunications Department, which is responsible for providing state-of-the-art airport-wide IT&T services.
By this honorary distinction, Athens International Airport achieved the second level of E.F.Q.M. excellence awards, following the "Committed to Excellence" distinction received by the Airport Company in March 2002, as a recognition of the company's commitment to business excellence.
The "Recognised for Excellence" Award is a major accomplishment for Athens International Airport, particularly to a sector of strategic significance such as the IT&T Department, as AIA is the first major European airport to achieve this level of distinction of the European Foundation for Quality Management, established by the European Commission to promote Quality Management in European Entreprises.
Athens International Airport takes part in the E.F.Q.M. recognition activities within the framework of the Airport Company's quality programme, coordinated by AIA's Corporate Quality Management Department, responsible for the implementation of quality systems aiming at the improvement of internal processes, as well as of the services offered to the public.
The business excellence award was presented to Athens International Airport S.A. on April 14th, 2003, by Mr. Nikos Empeoglou, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Management Association (EEDE), the National Partner Organisation of the European Foundation for Quality Management. The award was received by Mr. Fotis Karonis, AIA's Director, Information Technology & Telecommunications.