Gold Coast Airport (GCA) has been named Best Regional Airport Australia/Pacific at the Skytrax World Airport Awards for the third time, after receiving the accolade at an awards ceremony in Amsterdam overnight.

The 2017 awards are based on customer feedback from almost 14 million airport survey questionnaires conducted across 550 airports internationally.

GCA Chief Operating Officer Marion Charlton accepted the award in Amsterdam and said the win was a credit to the whole airport community.

“This award is based on direct feedback from the travelling public, so it is the best barometer of our performance from a customer experience point of view,” she said.

“To be recognised at this level for the third time is a significant coup not only for us, but the entire airport community including our retailers, contractors and airline partners.

“Not only does this coveted award put our airport under the spotlight on the world stage, it will help boost the profile of the Gold Coast and northern New South Wales internationally ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.”

Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted said: “We congratulate Gold Coast Airport on their success in winning this very important customer satisfaction award, the quality benchmark for the world airport industry.”

“It demonstrates how Gold Coast Airport continues to improve standards of customer service to be recognised as the Best Regional Airport in the Australia/Pacific region, which covers a very competitive group of airports.”

Customer surveys for the 2017 awards evaluated traveller experiences across different airport service and product key performance indicators from check in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security and immigration through to departure at the gate.

GCA also claimed the Best Regional Airport Australia/Pacific award in 2011 and 2015.

A record 6.4 million passengers moved through the airport in the 2016 calendar year, a 7.1 per cent increase on the prior year.

GCA is progressing with its terminal redevelopment, Project LIFT, which includes expansion of the terminal building and additional aircraft parking stands, with ground works currently underway and development to be completed in stages over the next few years.