The World’s Best Airports Have Been Announced For 2023

Changi International Airport offers **unrivalled passenger experiences**, according to Skytrax (Picture: Getty)

Do you love the airport vibe or is it the one thing about going away that you dread?

With shops to explore, multiple attractions, vast duty-free shopping areas and lots of restaurants where you can relax with a pre-flight cocktail, more and more airports are being described as a ‘destination in themselves.’

So, if a fun airport trip is essential for your holiday, we have you covered, thanks to Skytrax’s annual ranking of the world’s best airports for 2023.

The UK-based airline and airport review site gathers its list by surveying travellers from over 550 airports and asking them to rate their whole airport experience, assessing everything from check-in and security to food and retail choices, terminal layouts, and WiFi.

The Skytrax survey is independent of any airport influence, so all data collected is based purely on the customer experience.

And topping the list this year is Singapore’s Changi Airport, which has reclaimed its title in the World Airport Awards 2023.

The Jewel Changi is the last architectural addition to the Singapore airport, with record high indoor rain vortex waterfall, a vertical tropical forest and a shopping mall under a glass dome. — Changi Airport takes the gold medal at first place (Picture: Getty)

The airport had previously found itself in the top spot of Skytrax’s list for eight consecutive years from 2013 to 2020.

In 2021, it was knocked off due to falling passenger numbers during the pandemic, falling behind Doha’s Hamad International Airport and Tokyo’s Haneda Airport over the past two years.

However, now it’s claimed its place back at the top, and for good reason.

Do you enjoy going to the airport?Comment Now

Across four terminals, Changi Airport is home to a pool, movie theatre, playground, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, a vast selection of luxury shops, art exhibitions, koi ponds, a butterfly garden and an indoor forest with over 2,000 trees.

It’s really no surprise, then, that since it opened in 1981, Changi Airport has won more than 660 awards.

Interior of Hamad International Airport Terminal full of Tourist People Passenger, Big Yellow Bear Sculpture, — According to Skytrax, Qatar’s Hamad International Airport has been described as ‘the most architecturally significant terminal complex in the world’ (Picture: Getty)

Qatar’s Hamad International Airport took second place, dropping down from its previous top spot.

This airport stands out due to its futuristic design and high-tech features – including face scanners. But don’t worry if a more natural vibe is what you’re after: it also has an indoor tropical garden.

Third place went to Tokyo International Airport in Haneda, which also won the World’s Cleanest Airport award.

Japan, Honshu, Tokyo, Haneda Airport, International Terminal, Departure Area, Japanese Style Restaurant — You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to dining options at Haneda Airport in Tokyo (Picture: Dukas/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

European locations that made the final ranking include Paris Charles de Gaulle, Munich, Zurich, and Madrid Barajas. It seems, though, that you’re better off heading further afield if you want to sample the globe’s most impressive terminals.

As well as listing the best overall airport, Skytrax also hands out other awards, including regional prizes, best airport hotels, and, most recently, an award was created for airport art.

The Houston Airport System, which is home to one of the largest collections of public art in the state of Texas, won the new airport art award on behalf of both the William P. Hobby Airport and the George Bush Intercontinental Houston Airport.

While Changi’s on-site hotel, the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, was crowned the world’s best airport hotel for the eighth year.