The countdown is on for one of Munich Airport’s most popular and spectacular events. For the fifth anniversary edition of Surf & Style, surfing enthusiasts will be trying out their best moves in the Forum of the Munich Airport Center starting on July 31.
SURF FOR FREE
Surfers of all skill levels are welcome to ride the world’s biggest standing wave until August 23. The competitive highlight of the event is the European championship in Stationary Wave Riding from August 14 to 16.
In this contest, Munich’s urban surfers, who hone their skills in Munich’s chilly Eisbach stream, will be up against the international surfing elite. For the fifth anniversary event, the temporary wave pool will have an extra pump to make the wave even higher and more challenging for the professional competitors.
The wave will roll daily from 10am until 8pm. Again this year, the day will start with Kids’ Camps, where young surfers can learn and have fun with professional instructors. In the afternoons the wave will then be open to everyone, from beginners to experts, to surf free of charge. The necessary equipment will also be provided by Munich Airport at no cost.
BEST AIRPORT IN EUROPE
London-based Skytrax Institute has recognised Munich Airport as a prestigious ‘Five-Star Airport’, making the Bavarian hub the first airport in Europe to earn this title. Munich has successfully defended its ranking as the top airport in Europe and number three in the world in the 2015 World Airport Awards.
Skytrax awards stars to airports, similar to hotel ratings, for the quality of service, the overall experience and the efficiency of the handling processes, to rank international airports in terms of passenger comfort. The highest rating – five stars – was previously awarded only to four Asian airports: Singapore, Seoul, Hong Kong and Tokio-Haneda. To join the exclusive group of five-star airports, Munich Airport launched a comprehensive quality campaign in 2013.
Waiting areas were upgraded with comfortable seating and lounge chairs as well as USB outlets for mobile devices. To make it easier for passengers and visitors to find their way around the airport, 13 InfoGate counters are positioned at various locations in the terminals, allowing passengers to connect live via video conference with information service staff. And at the approximately 70 InfoGate terminals, information on flights, navigation in the airport, shopping options and other services are available by touchscreen.
In an audit at the end of March of this year, the Skytrax specialists spent several days evaluating the success of the various optimisation measures before granting Munich the coveted ‘Five-Star Airport’ seal of approval.
Munich Airport’s top ratings were also reflected in the views of passengers who took part in the global survey for the World Airports Awards 2015. In this annual survey conducted by the Skytrax Institute – this year with more than 13 million passengers responding – Munich repeated last year’s success, with the number one ranking in Europe and the number three position in the global table. This marked the eighth time in the past 10 years that Munich Airport has made news as the Best Airport in Europe.
Airport CEO Michael Kerkloh sees the latest honours as a further affirmation of the airport’s success story. He added, “Today our airport is seen far beyond Bavaria’s borders as the epitome of openness, innovation and competence. And it is highly esteemed by passengers from all over the world, of course for the outstanding range of destinations and quick connections, but also because it offers much, much more.”