Frankfurt Airport Focuses on Enhanced Customer Service

FRANKFURT, Germany, December 14, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Fraport AG, the owner and manager of Frankfurt Airport (FRA), launched a new enhanced customer service initiative today at its FRA home base. The program has been named "Great to have you here!" - indicating the clear mission of the long-term service initiative. "It is our goal to provide an even better product and give every passenger the feeling of a very warm welcome," explained Fraport AG's executive board chairman Dr. Stefan Schulte. Fraport has already allocated some EUR10 million for the program.

The time that passengers spend at the airport - before departure, upon arrival or during a connecting stopover - is an important part of the entire travel experience. More than half of Frankfurt Airport's passengers are transferring to another flight. These guests, in particular, require a high service level that keeps them coming back "home" to FRA and that also makes Germany's largest hub stand above its international competitors.

"The program follows a holistic approach," stressed Schulte. "We are examining the entire travel process as well as each and every single step along the travel chain. Check-in, security control and baggage drop-off are only some the most vital elements in the travel chain. Each individual process requires careful scrutiny and further optimization in the passengers' interest. To achieve this, we are working closely with our partners - the airlines, retail and restaurant concessionaires, and various authorities -- to enhance the quality standard of all processes, including those aspects of the travel chain where we only have limited influence," said Dr. Schulte.

"Frankfurt Airport offers the ideal prerequisites for this new service program," said Peter Schmitz, Fraport executive board member responsible for airport operations. "We are experts in the airport business and have established a worldwide reputation for operational performance." "Furthermore, our highly-motivated employees identify strongly with "their airport" and are proud to offer increased service and a warm welcome to our passengers daily." This provides a solid foundation for successfully building our next generation of "Great to have you here!" enhanced services.

Our initiative is divided into four key projects. The aim of the "Friendly and Attentive" key project is to offer passengers - in a proactive manner -- the necessary support, assistance and information they may need at any time. The goal of the "Fast and Comfortable Traveling" key project is to optimize the long paths that passengers sometimes have to walk at mega airports like FRA (serving more than 50 million passengers per year). For technical reasons, it is not possible to shorten such distances but procedures can be simplified and accelerated. The "Pleasant Ambience" key project focuses on many aesthetic and visually pleasing aspects that also improve the overall travel experience: lighting, color design, and choice of materials, etc. New rest areas with reclining seats provide peace and relaxation away from the bustling high-traffic corridors of the terminals. More play areas for children, re-designed sanitary facilities, and the redevelopment of the Terminal 1 curbside arrival forecourt will further enhance FRA's attractiveness in the near future. The "Shopping and Excitement" key project is another important element of the holistic concept. The range of restaurants and gastronomic delights at FRA will continue to expand and new types of retail products, services and entertainment will be offered.

Note to Editors:

Please visit http://www.fraport.com (select "Press Center") for further details about Fraport's "Great to have you here!" enhanced service initiative at FRA and for information from today's press conference, as well as high-quality photos for publication.

Print-quality photos of Frankfurt Airport and Fraport AG are available free for downloading via the Internet at http://www.fraport.com (Menu: select Press Center > then Photo Service). For TV news and information broadcasting purposes only, we also offer free footage material for downloading via http://fraport.cms-gomex.com.

    For Further Information, Please Contact:

    Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide
    Robert A. Payne, B.A.A. - Senior Mgr. International Press & PR
    International Spokesman, Press Office (Dept. UKM-PS),
    Corporate Communications, 60547 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
    Tel.: +49-69-690-78547; Fax: +49-69-690-55071;
    E-mail: [email protected]; mailto:[email protected];

    Internet: http://www.fraport.com

SOURCE Fraport AG