The 20 Best Airports in the World

By Ellen Gutoskey |
Going to the airport doesn't have to be the worst part of vacation.
Going to the airport doesn't have to be the worst part of vacation. / Enis Aksoy/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images

You may not plan an entire vacation around the best airports in the same way that you might with, say, the best beaches or the best Michelin-starred restaurants. But if you were to do so, you should probably head to Japan. 

The nation boasts four of the world’s top 20 airports, from second-place finisher Tokyo International Airport (also known as Haneda Airport) to Central Japan International Airport in the 12th spot. Japan’s international airports in Narita and Kansai also made the top 10.

The rankings come from Skytrax, a UK-based consultancy company that helps airports and airlines improve the quality of their services. Every year since 1999, Skytrax has released the World Airport Awards to celebrate which institutions are really knocking it out of the park when it comes to customer satisfaction. The awards themselves are based on the results of the online World Airport Survey, in which anyone can submit a nomination for the world’s best airport (as long as they’re willing to also rate approximately 30 factors about said airport, from signage to seating).

The 2022 champion, announced in June, is Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, which defended its title from last year’s awards. Continentally speaking, Europe and Asia held a monopoly over the list. North America failed to rank a single airport in the top 20.

Skytrax also names winners in more specific categories. Singapore Changi Airport—which came in third place overall—clinched the blue ribbon for Best Airport Staff Service and Best Airport Dining. And while Istanbul Airport is only the eighth best airport, it’s the best one for shopping (and also the most family-friendly).

Peruse the top 20 airports below, and see more takeaways from the 2022 awards here.

  1. Hamad International Airport // Qatar
  2. Tokyo International Airport (a.k.a. Haneda Airport) // Japan
  3. Singapore Changi Airport // Singapore
  4. Narita International Airport // Japan
  5. Incheon International Airport // South Korea
  6. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport // France
  7. Munich Airport // Germany
  8. Istanbul Airport // Turkey
  9. Zurich Airport // Switzerland
  10. Kansai International Airport // Japan
  11. Helsinki-Vantaa Airport // Finland
  12. Central Japan International Airport // Japan
  13. London Heathrow Airport // United Kingdom
  14. Dubai International Airport // United Arab Emirates
  15. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport // Netherlands
  16. Madrid-Barajas Airport // Spain
  17. Copenhagen Airport // Denmark
  18. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport // China
  19. Vienna International Airport // Austria
  20. Hong Kong International Airport // Hong Kong
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