Beyond facilitating arrivals and departures, airports serve as the prologue to a traveller’s tale. Every little detail within the terminals is meant to elevate a passenger’s journey, whether that be its sleek architecture, world-class lounges, deluxe amenities, gourmet dining options, or premium shopping experiences – to such a degree that many airports worldwide are now destinations in themselves.
With that in mind, the votes are in and a new king of airports has recently been declared by Skytrax. Doha’s Hamad International Airport of Qatar is now crowned the World’s Best Airport in 2024, knocking 12-time winner, Singapore’s Changi Airport, down to second place. These results were part of the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2024, an annual initiative by Skytrax, a British airline and airport review and ranking site.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, amongst some of the criteria evaluated for the awards included check-in and transfer experiences, immigration clearance, shopping, food and beverage options, security, and departures. Despite losing out to Qatar’s Hamad International Airport which won the title world’s best in 2021 and 2022, Singapore’s beloved Changi still remains an indisputable contender, winning the titles for “Best Airport in Asia” and “World’s Best Airport Immigration Service”.
Ahead, take a closer look at the Top 10 of the World’s Best Airports of 2024 and what sets them apart from the rest.
1. Hamad International Airport (Doha, Qatar)
Aside from being the world’s best airport, Doha’s Hamad International Airport has also been voted the world’s best airport for shopping, offering a first-class retail and dining experience with over 200 stores. It also offers free city tours to passengers with long layovers and houses the Orchard, a 6,000-square-metre indoor tropical garden. It is one of the airport’s many sustainability initiatives, including a waste management program that uses 3,979 tons of organic compost annually as fertiliser.
2. Changi Airport (Singapore)
Made famous for housing the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, Changi Airport is revered for its many attractions such as its seven-storey high rain vortex, air-conditioned rainforest, hedge maze, 12-metre high slide and abundance of shopping options. It also integrates cutting-edge technology into its operations, like self-check-in kiosks, automated immigration clearance, and robotic support, easily making it one of the most technologically progressive airports in the world.
3. Incheon International Airport (Seoul, South Korea)
Incheon International Airport offers free transit tours and goes beyond serving its purpose as an airport with its extensive array of offerings, comprising a movie theatre, spa, and a museum dedicated to Korean art and history. Another draw is its K-Culture Zone that allows you to dress in a hanbok and pick up a new skill – Hangul, Korea’s unique writing system.
4. Haneda Airport (Tokyo, Japan)
Haneda Airport has three terminals you can easily commute between via free shuttle buses, and its 2023 expansion has culminated in Haneda Airport Garden – a new complex comprising 80 new restaurants, cafes, and shops. Additionally, the two new hotels within the complex feature a 24-hour spa and an outdoor onsen so you can do some planespotting while being in complete respite.
5. Narita International Airport (Tokyo, Japan)
Aside from the usual amenities available at a standard airport, the Narita airport features a traditional Japanese garden with a pond, waterfall, and tea house for visitors to enjoy some matcha tea. Otherwise, try your hand at some mystery vending machines that dispense toys in capsules, and explore Japanese theatre culture at its kabuki-themed gallery and shop.
6. Charles de Gaulle Airport (Paris, France)
Voted as the best airport in Europe for a second consecutive year, Paris’ Charles de Gaulle is also the first European airport to feature on this list. Not only was its infrastructure upgraded recently ahead of the 2024 Olympic games, it allows passengers to experience the real Paris without ever leaving the airport at Instant Paris–a new area extending modern airport amenities in an only-in-France manner, complete with an immersive 3D walk with virtual reality views of the capital and iconic Eiffel Tower.
7. Dubai International Airport (United Arab Emirates)
UAE’s Dubai International Airport has been named the world’s busiest international hub for passengers for the 10th consecutive year, having handled 86.9 million passengers in 2023 and providing connectivity to 260 destinations worldwide. Whether you wish to shop to your heart’s content, take a breather at the airport’s Zen Gardens, or catch up on sleep in one of its igloo-style pods, the airport literally has it all.
8. Munich International Airport (Germany)
In true Bavarian fashion, the Munich International Airport houses the world’s first in-airport brewery, Airbräu, where you can sample seven locally made beers. It is also home to one of Europe’s largest roofed outdoor venues, the Munich Airport Center (MAC), allowing visitors to shop, eat, work, and spectate during major sporting matches and other events.
9. Zurich Airport (Switzerland)
The Zurich airport is the country’s largest and has consistently beat most other airports across Europe as one of the best. Not only is the airport a mere 11 minutes by train from the city centre, it boasts modern infrastructure, with more than 80 shops available. The airport’s conscientious sustainability efforts have also seen a reduction of carbon emissions by as much as 50 percent, despite increase in traffic.
10. Istanbul Airport (Turkey)
Officially opened in 2018, the Istanbul Airport replaced Atatürk Airport as the country’s main airport and is still undergoing expansion to build more runways and terminals by 2027. Even though it is quite a distance from the city centre, this 76.5-square-metre global hub sufficiently provides ample options for shopping, dining, entertaining, and relaxing in between flights.
Discover the rest of the World’s Best Airports of 2024 below.
11. Hong Kong Airport (Hong Kong)
12. Rome Fiumicino Airport (Italy)
13. Vienna Airport (Austria)
14. Helsinki-Vantaa (Finland)
15. Madrid-Barajas (Spain)
16. Centrair Nagoya Airport (Japan)
17. Vancouver Airport (Canada)
18. Kansai Airport (Japan)
19. Melbourne Airport (Australia)
20. Copenhagen Airport (Denmark)
21. London Heathrow (United Kingdom)
22. Bahrain (Bahrain)
23. Amsterdam Schiphol (Netherlands)
24. Seattle-Tacoma (United States of America)
25. Guangzhou (China)
26. Fukuoka (Japan)
27. Haikou Meilan (China)
28. Jakarta (Indonesia)
29. Houston Hobby (United States of America)
30. Paris Orly (France)
31. Dusseldorf (Germany)
32. Brisbane (Australia)
33. New York LGA (United States of America)
34. Frankfurt (Germany)
35. Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)
36. Delhi (India)
37. Shenzhen (China)
38. Houston George Bush (United States of America)
39. Bogota (Columbia)
40. Muscat (Oman)
41. Quito (Ecuador)
42. Hamburg (Germany)
43. Barcelona (Spain)
44. Shanghai Hongqiao (China)
45. Auckland (New Zealand)
46. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (United States of America)
47. San Francisco (United States of America)
48. London Gatwick (United Kingdom)
49. New Chitose (Japan)
50. Medina (Saudi Arabia)
