The success of a trip begins with a good experience at the airport. A place of passage, millions of passengers transit through its facilities who want to stay in them for the shortest possible time. However it is not always so. Delays or excessively long connection times take their toll on the traveler, and boredom and fatigue end up becoming undesirable companions. Not all aerodromes are the same, their offer of services, in the form of restaurants, lodging, leisure, and even comfort, and the quality of each one of them are decisive.
Knowing in advance this offer and the quality of the services is important when planning any journey. For this reason, the publication of the World Airport Awards, the Skytrax awards that recognize the best airports in the world, arouses special interest among those who use the plane more frequently. This year’s list of winners of the most prestigious awards in the sector does not throw too many surprises. Changi, the unbeatable airport in Singapore, recovers the leadership it had before the pandemic as the best in the world, accompanied on the podium by Hamad, from Doha, which it has relegated to second position, and Haneda, in Tokyo, which It goes back one place compared to 2022.
When announcing the winners of this edition, Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, highlighted the recovery experienced in recent months by the Singapore airport, which has rescued around 80% of the passengers it had before the covid, and it is expected that in 2024 it will reach pre-pandemic levels. “This recognition is especially important as it comes from airport customers and serves to underscore Changi’s popularity among international air travelers,” he concluded.
And it is that the promoter of these awards, a portal specialized in air transport, makes the lists based on the experience of travelers in more than 550 aerodromes around the planet. For this, services are evaluated that range from arrivals and departures to check-in, including security, the leisure offer, Wi-Fi coverage, transfers, cleaning, comfort or immigration.
As in previous editions, the ranking reflects a dominance of Asian terminals in the world’s top ten and an improvement in European airport facilities. Among the latter, the presence of Madrid stands out, which is in tenth position.
This is the 12th time -of the 23 editions of the World Airport Awards- in which Singapore has been crowned the best in the world. Turned into a true star on the global airport scene, Changi has not stopped growing and receiving international recognition for its architectural beauty and its numerous recreational activities, since it was inaugurated in 1981. It has, among other proposals, outdoor and indoor gardens with trails, butterflies and flowers, relaxation areas, jacuzzi, and even a swimming pool or laundry. In addition to being considered the number 1 on the planet, it has also won awards for its restaurants and leisure services.
The airport of the capital of Qatar is a true temple of luxury relegated this year to second position, after two years at the top of the podium. The main Qatar Airways hub, inaugurated nine years ago, has also been recognized in 2023 as the best for shopping, among other awards. Of its endless offer of services, those aimed at travelers in transit stand out, such as tours of the city for those who must remain in Hamad waiting for their connecting flight for hours.
It is located in Tokyo Bay, 15 kilometers from the center of the capital, and can boast of being considered by travelers the third best in 2023, the cleanest on the planet, the best national airfield and the most accessible for people with mobility. reduced. The busiest airport not only in Tokyo, but in the entire country, it has a large 360º observation deck on the roof with a cafeteria, a gigantic shopping center and a planetarium for stargazing, among other services.
Considered one of the main air hubs in Northeast Asia, it occupies an artificial space built between the Yeongjongdo and Yongyudo islands, inaugurated in 2001. Its modern facilities, which this year occupy the fourth position in the world ranking, offer, among other proposals, field of golf, spa, a rooftop pool, and museums of Korean culture and traditional arts. This year’s World Airport Awards have ranked Incheon fourth in the world, as well as being recognized for the excellent service of airport staff and its immigration management.
As was the case last year, the main airport of the French capital is the best in the Old Continent and, furthermore, it has advanced one position in the world ranking compared to 2022. The main aerodrome in France, also known as Roissy -is located in the homonymous town, 25 kilometers north of Paris-, is practical and quickly accessible both from the capital and from other nearby towns. It hosts domestic flights and most long-distance international flights and has an outstanding range of restaurants, shops and other services.
Located in the European district of Arnavutköy, travelers have highlighted it as the most familiar and the best in southern Europe. It has been operating since 2019 as one of the most important hubs on the planet -it is the operations center of Turkish Airlines- and aspires to become the hub with the highest air traffic on the planet when its last phase is completed. Registered as a “5-star” airport, in this year’s edition Istanbul has gone from eighth to sixth place.
The Munich-Franz Josef Strauss airport, the second busiest in Germany after Frankfurt, is a fixture at the World Airport Awards. On this occasion, it occupies the seventh position in the global ranking -the same as last year- and, in addition, it has been recognized as number 1 in Central Europe and the one that offers the best airport personnel service on the Old Continent. It is located 28 kilometers from the city center and has a very long catalog of services for passengers, among which stand out exhibition halls, minigolf, micro-cabins to sleep in or bus circuits to discover the facilities.
Located in the Swiss town of Kloten, the name by which it is also known, and only 11 minutes by train from Zurich, this aerodrome is the most important hub for Swiss International Air Lines. Its dimensions make it very comfortable for passengers in transit. Its large panoramic terrace, tourist routes, an interesting commercial and restaurant offer and its beauty and spa proposal have placed it in eighth position in the Skytrax ranking (one ahead of that obtained in 2022).
The Narita facilities are the second in Japan to appear in the top ten this year, although they have dropped five positions compared to the previous edition. Opened in 1978, it is located about 60 kilometers from Tokyo, in Chiba prefecture, but its excellent transport network makes it easy to travel to the center of the capital. It stands out for an excellent commercial and restaurant offer; vip rooms, viewpoints and a capsule hotel. Long transits allow you to visit the main attraction of the city of Narita: the Naritasan Shinsho-ji temple.
Barajas debuts in the world top ten. It is located just a dozen kilometers from the capital and is a prominent flight hub with connectivity to the Spanish-American, national and European markets. Despite the consequences of the pandemic, in 2022 more than 50 million passengers passed through its Madrid facilities and the number of operations exceeded 350,000. It has four passenger terminals, a wide range of shops, restaurants and VIP rooms, oratories of different religions, exhibitions or a children’s play area. Since 2014, his official name is Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas.