Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport in Ahmedabad has become the third airport in India to receive the Airports Council International (ACI) Level-5 Airport Customer Experience Accreditation — the highest tier under the global body's customer experience programme. The recognition was awarded on Tuesday, 14 July, upgrading the airport from its previous Level-4 status, which it had earned in June last year.

What the Level-5 Accreditation Means

The ACI Level-5 designation is the programme's pinnacle, reserved for airports that have fully embedded customer experience principles across every layer of their operations — from leadership and organisational culture to measurement systems, innovation, and community collaboration. Unlike lower tiers, Level 5 demands a mature, organisation-wide approach spanning strategy, governance, service design, and continuous improvement.

SVPI Airport is operated by Ahmedabad International Airport Limited, a subsidiary of Adani Airport Holdings Limited. Officials stated that the accreditation 'followed a series of improvements introduced over the past year to enhance the passenger journey and strengthen customer engagement.'

Key Upgrades That Drove the Recognition

Among the initiatives cited by the airport, several stand out for their scale and scope. The airport launched a 24-hour AI-powered call centre for passenger enquiries and complaints, and expanded digital services through the Adani One app, AI-assisted passenger support, and biometric immigration kiosks.

Terminal capacity received a significant boost: entry lanes at Terminal 2 were increased from five to 11, while exit lanes expanded from five to 10, directly addressing congestion during peak travel hours. Domestic lounges were refurbished, seating was added, wayfinding improved, and accessibility facilities for senior citizens, persons with reduced mobility, and families were enhanced.

Real-time passenger feedback systems, smart dining services, digital payment options, and expanded connectivity solutions were also introduced as part of the overhaul.

Commercial and Cultural Additions

On the commercial front, the airport opened Maison Twenty Seven by Bastian, a 56,000 sq ft restaurant that the airport describes as among the largest in Gujarat. New food courts, gourmet dining outlets, and retail offerings featuring both local and international brands were added alongside it.

The airport also rolled out cultural and festive programmes designed to showcase Gujarat's heritage and deepen passenger engagement — an increasingly common strategy among Indian airports seeking to differentiate the travel experience beyond functional service.

India's Aviation CX Landscape

SVPI Airport's achievement places it in select company. Only two other Indian airports had previously reached the ACI Level-5 benchmark, underscoring how demanding the accreditation criteria are. The ACI programme evaluates airports on how deeply customer experience is integrated into operations, and Level 5 represents the end-state of that journey.

This comes amid a broader push across India's aviation sector to raise passenger experience standards, as airports managed by private concessionaries compete on service quality alongside capacity. With passenger volumes at Indian airports continuing to climb post-pandemic, the pressure to deliver seamless, technology-enabled journeys has intensified.

Officials added that SVPI Airport 'continues to serve as a benchmark in India's aviation sector, consistently innovating to ensure a world-class travel experience.' Whether the airport's next milestone involves expanding terminal infrastructure to match its service credentials will be closely watched by the industry.