Rome Fiumicino Named Europe's Best Airport for Seventh Consecutive Year; Munich Wins Digital Transformation Award

Rome Fiumicino was named Europe’s best airport for the seventh year in a row in the latest ACI EUROPE Best Airport Awards, which recognise airports across the continent for innovation in passenger experience, sustainability and operations. The awards, announced this year as passenger numbers recover and growth is expected to increase into 2025, singled out airports that have adapted to emerging challenges in security, operations, staff wellbeing and environmental performance.

The awards highlighted 10 airports leading the way in technology, sustainability and service across different size categories, with additional special awards for specific achievements. Germany’s Munich Airport received the Digital Transformation Award for its deployment of service robots and artificial intelligence to streamline operations and improve the passenger journey. Maastricht–Aachen Airport in the Netherlands won the Eco‑Innovation Award for its "Electrify" project.

ACI EUROPE’s awards programme evaluates airports on measures including operational performance, customer experience initiatives and environmental progress. Organisers said this year’s winners were selected for directly addressing the priorities that have come to the fore as the industry moves beyond the pandemic downturn: digitalisation to handle higher throughput, measures to protect worker health and wellbeing, and projects to reduce carbon emissions and other environmental impacts.

Munich Airport’s Digital Transformation Award citation noted the airport’s use of robotics and AI systems to automate tasks such as passenger guidance, luggage handling support and real‑time operational decision‑making. Airport operators and technology providers increasingly point to automation and advanced data analytics as tools to maintain service levels while managing constrained staff resources and rising passenger volumes.

Maastricht–Aachen’s Eco‑Innovation Award recognised the airport’s Electrify initiative, which was described by the organisers as a bold step toward reducing emissions through increased electrification of airport systems and infrastructure. Smaller airports have increasingly pursued targeted, locally tailored projects to cut emissions and improve energy efficiency, and the awards aimed to showcase those efforts alongside larger operators’ strategies.

Airport industry figures said the awards reflect a shift in priorities from recovery to resilience, with airports investing in technological and environmental solutions that can scale as traffic grows. ACI EUROPE noted that winners in the coming year will face continued pressure to balance passenger experience with sustainability targets and stricter security protocols.

The annual awards programme separates categories by passenger throughput while also offering special recognitions, allowing both major hubs and regional airports to be acknowledged for different kinds of innovation. As airlines and regulators prepare for projected growth in 2025, airports cited by ACI EUROPE are positioning technology and sustainability at the centre of efforts to improve efficiency, reduce environmental impact and enhance traveller services.