(CNN) – Singapore’s Changi Airport, a bright green haven that bills itself as a ‘destination in itself’, has regained first place in Skytrax’s annual ranking of the world’s best airports.
Skytrax, a British airline and airport rating and rating site, compiles its list by surveying travelers from around the world and asking them to rate their overall airport experience, from check-in to departure and everything in between.
Singapore’s Changi Airport has topped the Skytrax list for eight consecutive years, but has fallen in 2021 and 2022 due to low passenger numbers during the pandemic, with Hamad International Airport in Qatar taking the top spot.
Singapore Changi Airport is famous for its 40-meter indoor waterfall. Credit: Sakarin/Adobe Stock
“Singapore’s Changi Airport has long been a favorite with travelers and of course declined during the COVID-19 pandemic when operations were significantly reduced,” Skytrax’s Peter Miller told CNN Travel.
Changi Airport “offers something for everyone,” says Miller, noting that this is a “major factor” in its continued popularity.
Some of Changi’s charms include a stunning 40-meter indoor waterfall, a butterfly garden, and an IMAX cinema, not to mention over 280 shops and restaurants, perfect for killing time on layover.
“Singapore Changi is primarily a transit airport, and according to customer feedback, the airport is doing well because it offers a wide range of facilities and services for all types of clients: families, business travelers and tourists who are well catered for,” says Miller.
Second on Skytrax’s list this year, Hamad International Airport also offers services designed for transit passengers, such as city tours for those who spend more than eight hours waiting for their connecting flight.
This year, the top five Skytrax for 2023 are completed by Tokyo International Airport, better known as Haneda, Incheon International Airport and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
From gastronomy to airport art
The lounge at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar ranks second on Skytrax’s list.
Credit: MSM/Adobe Stock
Skytrax also gives out other prizes, including regional ones. Changi Airport won Asia’s Best Airport, as well as the world’s best airport restaurant and world’s best airport entertainment.
Changi, the luxurious Crowne Plaza Changi Hotel, has been crowned the best airport hotel in the world for the eighth year in a row.
For its part, Hamad International Airport ranked second and also won the awards for the best airport in the world for shopping, the best airport in the Middle East and the cleanest airport in the Middle East, while Tokyo Haneda Airport ranked third. , crowned the cleanest airport in the world.
Bahrain International Airport has been named the best airport in the world for dropping baggage, and Incheon seems to be the airport with the best staff and immigration process.
Tokyo International Airport ranks third on Skytrax’s list. credit: iamdoctoregg/Getty Images
For its part, New York’s LaGuardia Airport, which was heavily criticized in its day, continued its successful rehabilitation and its new Terminal B was named Best New Airport Terminal in the World.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is the highest-ranked airport in the United States, ranked 18th on Skytrax’s list and named Best Airport in North America.
Cape Town International Airport is the best airport in Africa, Delhi Airport is the best airport in India and South Asia, and Bogota’s El Dorado International Airport was named the best airport in South America.
This year, the Skytrax team also launched a new category celebrating airport art, judged by an independent panel rather than a customer survey.
The Houston Airport System, home to one of the largest collections of public art in the state of Texas, won this award on behalf of William P. Hobby Airport and Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Skytrax’s Top 20 World Airports 2023
- Singapore Changi Airport
- Hamad International Airport
- Tokyo International Airport (Haneda)
- Incheon International Airport
- Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
- Istanbul airport
- Munich airport
- Zurich airport
- Narita International Airport
- Madrid Barajas Airport
- Vienna International Airport
- Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
- Rome Fiumicino Airport
- Copenhagen Airport
- Kansai International Airport
- Chubu Centrair International Airport
- Dubai international airport
- Seattle Tacoma International Airport
- Melbourne airport
- Vancouver International Airport
