Airports Council International (ACI) has awarded Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) the Adaptability Award for small airports in North America. Winners of this award have successfully demonstrated their versatility and innovative spirit in maintaining a safe and effective concessions program while preserving the highest customer experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result of the significant decline in passenger traffic resulting from the pandemic, airports were forced to rethink how to provide dining, shopping, and amenities in a safe and effective manner. During this time, GSP proactively assumed management of five restaurants at the airport and re-worked the operations of each concept to maximize efficiency and service to the customer. As part of the process, the airport even introduced QDOBA Mexican Eats as a new dining option, the first QDOBA location in the Upstate South Carolina region.
Other winners of this award were Indianapolis International Airport (IND), representing medium-sized airports, and Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), representing large airports.
“GSP takes great pride in providing our customers with a better airport experience,” said Scott Carr, vice president of commercial business and communications of the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport District. “In recent years, the airport has received numerous awards for excellence from industry organizations for our restaurants, retail stores, passenger amenities, and marketing activities. However, we are humbled to be recognized with this prestigious award during such a challenging time.”
In addition to ACI’s Adaptability Award, GSP was recently recognized for excellence by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals and Graphic Design USA. GSP received Gold MarCom Awards for television advertising and the design of the new Airport Museum. The airport also received a Platinum MarCom Award for its redesign of the gspairport.com website. Also, Graphic Design USA awarded its commendation for the airport’s redesign of the gspairport.com website.
In 2020, GSP was recognized as the Best Airport in North America in the 2-5 million passenger category by is customers and Airports Council International. In 2021, the airport was awarded the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Health Accreditation for its commitment prioritizing health and safety measures for its customers and employees.
Despite the pandemic’s significant impact on the travel industry, GSP continued to prioritize its passengers by re-opening concessions, expanding services, introducing new amenities, and enhancing platforms that allow the airport to share important travel information.
