Methodology · airports

IVCA v2.5

The Vuelopedia Air Quality Index (IVCA) for airports is an independent, non-profit ranking. It combines operational performance and hub value (our own data) with the passenger experience measured by recognised surveys. This page explains exactly how it is calculated. edition.

The principle: two families of evidence

A good airport is partly how well it operates and how much it connects (measurable) and partly how the passenger experiences it (perception). We separate the two and give each its weight.

Our own data · objective

On-time departures, passenger volume, connections (direct destinations) and cancellations. Calculated by us from official flight data and public route databases. It is hard data, not opinion.

Perception · surveys

The passenger experience as measured by the most recognised airport surveys. They are used only as an input to the calculation: we take the placing as a fact; we never republish their lists and never use their logos.

The indicators and their weight

Two pillars of nearly equal weight (objective 49% · perception 51%). The weights are versioned, public parameters.

IndicatorWhat it measures and howSourceNormalisationWeight

Punctuality
our own% of departures on time (within 15 min of schedule)Our own · official flight data (US, Europe) + Cirium55%→0, 90%→10018%

Volume
externalPassengers per year (size/importance of the airport)ACI World (figures cited)Logarithmic scale (5M→0, 110M→100)15%

Connections
our ownNumber of direct destinations served (hub value)Our own · public route database (OpenFlights)Logarithmic scale (10→0, 250→100)14%

Reliability
our ownCancellation rateOur own · official flight data0%→100, 5%→02%

Global airport recognition
externalInternational airport passenger experience survey (list of the world’s 100 best)Globally awarded recognition (input)By placing, with a floor23%

Airport service quality (survey)
externalInternational on-site airport service quality surveyGlobally awarded recognition (input)By recognition28%

Passenger reports
our ownDocumented, verifiable experience problems (surprise fees, works affecting service, logistical disarray). Under development: shown on the profile but not yet part of the scoreOur own · press citedNegative signal 0-1000% (under development)

Hub value (volume + connections = 29%) weighs heavily: an airport counts for how much traffic it moves and how many destinations it reaches, not only for its punctuality.

The calculation, step by step

Normalise each indicator to 0–100

With fixed, published anchors (those in the table), the same in every edition. The awards carry a floor: being among the best in the world is positive in itself, so the last on a list is not worth ~0.

Score per pillar

Weighted average of the available indicators in the pillar. The weights are re-normalised over what exists: a missing figure does not penalise, it only lowers confidence.

Composite index (IVCA)

Combination of the two pillars. To enter the ranking, an airport must be a hub (with connections) or be recognised by a survey; that way the relevant airports are ranked, not every small aerodrome.

Confidence factor

What percentage of the possible information is present. It is published alongside each placing. With low confidence, the score is pulled towards the group average — so an airport with little data does not shoot up on a single value.

Global and regional ranking

The same score orders the world ranking and, filtered by region, that of each continent. North America is the United States and Canada; Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America compete together in a single region, Latin America.

Live, versioned and reproducible

Quarterly refresh Every quarter it is recalculated with the most recent flight, traffic and survey data (airport sources are published once a year).

Methodology version The weights and anchors are stored by version (v2.5). Any past ranking is recomputed identically.

Validity of each source Every figure carries the date or edition of its source (visible in the profile and in the PDF report); each edition loads the most recent publication.

Traceability Each placing comes with its breakdown by indicator and an explanation of why it ended up where it did.

Sources and fair use

The index cross-checks public information from recognised surveys against operational, traffic and connectivity data of our own making.

Vuelopedia is an independent, non-profit encyclopedia. Third-party surveys and rankings are used only as one ingredient of the calculation: we take an airport’s placing as a fact. We do not reproduce their tables, we do not use their logos, and what we publish is solely Vuelopedia’s own score and ordering. The objective data is calculated from verifiable sources we can audit.

Coverage and limits

Transparency also means saying what is missing. In this edition:

Punctuality by region It is most complete where official flight data is public (United States, Europe) and where Cirium publishes it; in other regions the figure is missing and confidence reflects that.

Service quality survey being integrated The international airport service quality survey is being incorporated progressively; for now perception rests mainly on the global passenger survey, and the surveys not yet included lower confidence, not the score.

Connections: a snapshot The destination network comes from a public database that is a snapshot of one moment; it reflects hub structure well, but may not capture the most recent growth.

Volume: the largest Passenger traffic covers the largest airports in the world; it will be extended to more airports by region.

See the airport ranking Airline methodology

No assessment of this kind is entirely objective. IVCA results should be read as a methodological approximation for identifying the best performance of airlines, airports, alliances and frequent-flyer programmes, not as an absolute or unchangeable truth. They are also a snapshot in time: the index is recalculated every quarter and changes with events and with the data available.

An independent Vuelopedia index. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any airport or organiser of awards or surveys; traffic figures are cited with attribution to their source and third-party recognitions are used only as an input.