Singapore’s Changi Airport has been named the “world’s best airport” for a record 12th time.
The city-state’s airport reclaimed the title in the “World Airport Awards 2023” announced yesterday by the air transport research firm Skytrax.
Changi Airport had previously won first place in Skytrax’s annual ranking for eight consecutive years from 2013 to 2020, but placed behind Doha’s Hamad International Airport and Tokyo’s Haneda Airport for the past two years.
Global travelers representing more than 100 nationalities participated in the Skytrax survey, which also named Singapore’s Changi Airport as the:
- Best Airport in Asia
- World’s Best Airport — Dining, and
- World’s Best Airport — Leisure Amenities.
Customers rated airports according to many factors, including shopping, check-in, arrivals, transfers and security and immigration.
Doha’s Hamad International Airport came in second, followed by Tokyo’s Haneda Airport in third and Incheon International Airport in fourth. Japan had two airports in the top 10 this year, with Narita International Airport coming in ninth.
Other top spots were filled by the main airports in Paris (fifth), Istanbul (sixth), Munich (seventh) and Zurich (eighth). All of the airports in last year’s top 10 list made a reappearance except Osaka’s Kansai International Airport, which was replaced by Spain’s Madrid-Barajas Airport (10th).
The Skytrax survey also ranked airports on other metrics. The “world’s best airport staff” can be found in Seoul’s Incheon International Airport, while China’s Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport won “world’s most improved airport.”
What to know about Changi Airport
Changi Airport has now won more than 660 “Best Airport” awards since it opened in 1981. The airport plans to expand the capacity of its Terminal 2 building by 5 million passengers per year, and has begun upgrading works that are scheduled for completion by 2024.
Across its four terminals, Changi Airport features gym and shower facilities, napping areas, a 16-meter tall children’s play structure and a swimming pool that overlooks a runway.
Terminal 1 links directly to the 10-story retail complex Jewel Changi Airport, which has seven themed gardens, a forest valley of more than 2,000 trees and the world’s tallest indoor waterfall.
Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted said the win “underline[s] the airport’s popularity with international air travelers,” who have returned to about 80% of pre-Covid 19 levels, he said.
More on Changi Airport
- Annual handling capacity of 85 million passengers
- Serves more than 90 airlines and connects Singapore to 140 cities worldwide
- In 2022, its top five passenger markets were Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Thailand
- Its lifestyle section, Jewel, has won 25 awards since opening in 2019
Correction: This story has been updated to correct that Changi Airport topped Skytrax’s annual ranking for eight consecutive years from 2013 to 2020.
Source: CNBC