Auckland Airport wins top honour at global Airport Food and Beverage Awards

Inside Auckland International Airport's recently refurbished departure terminal. Photo / Colleen Tunnicliff

Auckland International Airport's refurbished departure terminal and dining precinct has been named the global Airport Food & Beverage Offer of the Year.

The restaurant precinct has been awarded the top honour at the 2019 Airport Food and Beverage Awards (FAB) in Dallas - being recognised from a range of travel-related food and beverage concepts in airports located throughout the world.

Richard Barker, general manager of retail and commercial at Auckland Airport, said the FAB Awards were the equivalent of the Olympics in the tourism industry and the company was delighted with the win.

"Auckland Airport was competing with very high-profile global airports and we are absolutely delighted to have been recognised for our approach to creating an airport dining offer that Kiwis can be proud of," Barker said.

"The last 18 months has seen the airport change and update more than 27 food and
beverage offerings across the airport, and the international terminal offers recognised
by this award represents the lion share of these."

Fourteen new food and beverage outlets have been introduced in the Airport's departure terminal during the airport's 2018-2019 refurbishment and expansion project. The terminal post-security is now home to popular UK family restaurant Wondertree, Al Brown's Best Ugly Burgers, Mexico and a brand new McDonald's outlet and play area.

The terminal expansion has seen dining and seating options more than double.

Auckland Airport services nine out of 10 of New Zealand's long haul flights and close to 75 per cent of all international arrivals to this country. Around 10 million people went through Auckland Airport last year. This is expected to grow to 30 million annually in 2030 and 40 million in 2040.

FAB Awards organiser Martin Moodie, founder and chairman of the Moodie Davitt Report, said this year's Awards were hotly contested in the event's eight-year history.

"Auckland Airport's overall success – and those of its individual operators – was
particularly notable in the face of white-hot international competition, including some of the world's most renowned airports, ones known for their outstanding food & beverage offers, such as Dubai International, Singapore Changi and Hong Kong International," Moodie said.

"Besides the eclectic mix of outlets and the consistently high quality shown across the board, it was the transformation of offer that ultimately won the day."

2019 FAB Award winners

• Airport Food & Beverage Offer of the Year - Auckland Airport International Terminal

• FAB Innovation Awards - Glamp Grounds Bar

• Airport 'Food to Go' of the Year - Hayama Sushi & Noodles

• Airport Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year - Delaware North Companies NZ Retail, Blue Marble Lane Bar & Bistro

• Airport Food & Beverage Offer Best Reflecting Sense of Place - Glamp Grounds Bar

• Outstanding Airport Restaurant Design of the Year - Delaware North Companies NZ Retail, Blue Marble Lane Bar & Bistro – Auckland