BY TERRY FLYNN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HEBRON -- For the second consecutive year, the Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky International Airport was ranked first among U.S. airports of its size in a study of international passenger convenience. The airport ranked fourth in the world in overall passenger convenience for facilities handling between 15 million and 25 million passengers per year, the only U.S. airport ranked in the top five. Cincinnati had a little more than 20 million passengers through its terminals in 1997.
Singapore ranked first in the survey of 78,000 international passengers, conducted by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Zurich was second, Copenhagen third and Sydney fifth. Cincinnati ranked fourth in overall business passenger convenience among the top five U.S. and Canadian airports regardless of size. Calgary was first, followed by Atlanta and Vancouver, Cincinnati and then Chicago O'Hare.
"Of course, we're really pleased to be ranked there for the second straight year," said airport spokeswoman Judy Ingram. "But we would have been worried if we dropped very much in the survey, because we believe our overall service here is excellent."
The IATA has conducted its survey for five years, giving out questionnaires at 62 airports all over the world to measure satisfaction on a scale of 0-10 across 23 service categories.
IATA officials said the 1997 survey showed that service leaders from the previous year continued to receive top reviews.
Among the categories surveyed: availability of connecting flights; ease of making connections; restaurant - eating areas; washrooms; sense of security; ground transportation; customs inspection; comfort of waiting areas - lounges; shopping facilities. Amsterdam ranked first in overall passenger convenience, business and leisure, for the top five airports in the world over 25 million passengers, followed by Orlando, Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare and Minneapolis - St. Paul.
At the monthly meeting of the Kenton County Airport Board on Monday, air service committee Chairman William Whitson said Continental and Comair will basically match service to Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport in July.
Continental will initiate non-stop service July 7, with three daily departures by Aug. 1. Continental flies 50-passenger regional jets to Houston.
Comair will begin three daily round trips between here and Houston effective July 1.
The commuter airline which is known as the Delta Connection will also inaugurate the first non-stop jet service between Cincinnati and Nassau, Bahamas, effective June 1.
