5 Star Airport

[Geoffrey Beird]

ASTAR is an air traffic control (ATC)-coded IFR arrival route established for application to arriving IFR aircraft destined for certain airports. Area navigation (RNAV) STAR/FMSP procedures for arrivals serve the same purpose but are used only by aircraft equipped with flight management systems (FMS) or GPS. The purpose of both is to simplify clearance delivery procedures and facilitate transition between en route and instrument approach procedures.[1]

A STAR is a flight route defined and published by the air navigation service provider that usually covers the phase of a flight that lies between the last point of the route filed in the flight plan and the first point of the approach to the airport, normally the initial approach fix (IAF). Hence, a STAR connects the en-route phase with the approach phase of the flight.

A typical STAR consists of a set of starting points, called transitions, and a description of routes (typically via VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) radio beacons and airway intersections) from each of these transitions to a point near the destination airport, from where the aircraft can undertake an instrument approach (IAP) or be vectored for a final approach by terminal air traffic control. Not all airports have published STARs, but most relatively large or hard to reach (e.g., in a mountainous area) airports do. Sometimes several airports in a locality share a single STAR; in such circumstances, aircraft follow the same arrival route until the final waypoint, diverging thereafter for their chosen destination.

Although the route segment of the filed flight plan does not usually change during the flight itself, the STAR to be flown might well vary according to the weather, the runway or approach in use, or the need to safely separate air traffic, among other factors. Thus, a filed flight plan typically ends some distance from touchdown, where a STAR begins, and the actual STAR to use is usually assigned and communicated to the pilot while the flight is already underway.

Naming conventions for STARs vary by country and region. In Europe, they are often named after the transition waypoint, followed by a digit that is incremented with each revision of the procedure, and a letter designating the runway for which the STAR is intended. In the United States, STARs are named after waypoints, or unique features of the STAR, or geographical features, followed by a digit indicating the STAR revision. A single STAR in the United States may serve multiple runways and transitions; European STARs are more likely to be independently published for each runway and/or transition.

Not all STARs are for IFR flights. Occasionally, STARs are published for visual approaches, in which case they refer to landmarks visible on the ground or other visual reference points, instead of waypoints or radio navigation aids.

STARs can be very detailed (as is often the case in Europe), allowing pilots to go from descent to approach entirely on their own once ATC has cleared them for the arrival, or they can be more general (as is often the case in the United States), providing guidance to the pilot, which is then supplemented by instructions from ATC. Typically, European STARs are very runway-specific and allow approaches to be made without the controller needing to issue radar vectors frequently until short final. STARs published and used for United States air traffic tend not to have many deviations in waypoints per-runway, though they do have some.[2]

HOUSTON - The City of Houston now boasts the only 5-Star rated airport throughout the state of Texas and North America after William P. Hobby Airport achieved a 5-Star Airport status in the Skytrax World Airport Star Rating for 2022.

The Skytrax World Airport Star Rating is a global benchmark of quality evaluation for the aviation industry. Airports are rated between a 1-Star and 5-Star level following a detailed audit analysis of facilities and staff service to customers across all front-line areas of the airport environment.

George Bush Intercontinental Airport maintained its 4-Star rating for a fifth consecutive year and consistently improved its score across the rating categories. Construction continues to advance the international terminal redevelopment program, which will support the efforts to achieve the ultimate goal for Houston to serve as home to not just one, but two 5-Star rated airports.

To achieve the top 5-Star Airport Rating the staff service or product standards must be either meeting or setting global best practice for the item under evaluation. For the product analysis this is a tangible item, and for service assessment we look for all aspects of excellence support by true consistency. (It is not necessary for an airport to achieve 5-Star for every element of the rating criteria)

Skytrax apply ratings for up to 800 customer-facing areas of airport product and service, and this spans over 30 different customer contact points from the airport website to terminal / airport hotel quality.

The Star Rating methodology is unified and consistent for the industry, and all airports from the largest hubs to small regional facilities are assessed using the same base rating criteria. Ratings are based on the front-line customer experience on the end-to-end journey through an airport.

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Skytrax World Airport Star Rating was introduced 20 years ago, and has become a global benchmark of quality evaluation for the airport industry. The 5-Star Airport symbol is our ultimate quality recognition for an airport, awarded to airports achieving a very high, overall quality performance. This top airport rating recognises airports providing excellent facilities for customers, which combines with high quality airport staff service.

Service rating at the airport includes airport operated options (eg. help counters, service ambassadors), staff working in shops, restaurants, and cafes, and official staff such as immigration, police, security and customs. Service assessment looks at standards of efficiency, consistency of service, staff attitudes, service hospitality / friendliness and language skills.

5-Star Airport Rating

Awarded to airports that are providing a very high, overall Quality performance. This top rating recognises high standards of airport facilities / amenities, together with consistent and excellent standards of staff service across front-line areas.

4-Star Airport Rating

The 4-Star rating is a seal of quality approval that recognises airports which are providing a good overall Quality performance. A four-star rating normally differentiates between good and excellent classifications, and in some areas where an airport might be meeting five-star levels, the rating may be applied as 4-Star if consistency is not being achieved.

3-Star Airport Rating

This is the rating applied to the largest number of airports in the Star Rating programme, and means that an airport is achieving a fair Quality performance that equates to an industry average of facilities, amenities and staff service standards. A 3-Star rating signifies areas that may be performing below 4-Star requirements due to inconsistency.

2-Star Airport Rating

This rating applies to airports that are performing at a lower overall quality standard, and below the industry average across many rating categories. A 2-Star Airport rating signifies a poor standard of airport facilities / amenities and may also reflect lower standards of staff service efficiency and consistency.

1-Star Airport Rating

The one-star airport rating represents an airport providing unacceptable standards of facilities and staff service. It should be noted, that Skytrax have never rated an airport in the overall 1-Star category.

Airports do not have to be large hub facilities to achieve the 5-Star and 4-Star Airport ratings. Star rating assesses each airports target market and customer base, to determine its Quality success in that area. For example, a small regional airport serving point-to-point to routes is not expected the offer the same facilities as a global hub airport, but both airport types are eligible to meet the top tier, 5-Star Airport rating.

The agency announced Tuesday that Newark Liberty International Airport's Terminal A was awarded a prestigious five-star rating by Skytrax, the preeminent industry ratings firm, following a detailed audit of its facilities, operations and provision of customer service.

Completed in 2023, the 1 million-square-foot Terminal A now joins LaGuardia's Terminal B as the only two airport terminals in North America awarded the highest Skytrax rating, the Port Authority said.

Terminal A, considered the centerpiece of an airport-wide renaissance, opened in phases throughout 2023 as airport operations migrated from the 50-year-old former Terminal A. The $2.7 billion terminal represented both the Port Authority's largest-ever single investment in New Jersey and the state's largest design-build project.

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