REUTERS
- UK-based aviation ranking company Skytrax revealed its top 20 best airports for 2021.
- Asian and European airports dominated the list with Doha Hamad taking the number one spot.
- The highest-ranking airports in North America were Vancouver International Airport and Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport but both failed to make the top 20 list.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Skytrax has revealed its World's Top 100 Airports for 2021 and the reigning champion has been dethroned.
Since 1999, Skytrax, an aviation rating company, has funded a global airport customer satisfaction survey branded as the Passenger's Choice Awards. Now in its 22nd year, the company continued the annual tradition despite the impact of the pandemic.
Expert travelers reviewed over 500 airports based on several factors, including check-in, shopping, immigration, security, cleanliness, terminal comfort and ambiance, choice of bars and restaurants, and airport ease of access. A COVID-19 specific section was also included in the survey.
European and Asian airports dominated the top 20 list again this year, with Doha's Hamad International Airport taking the top spot and ending Singapore Changi Airport's eight-year winning streak. There was an even split of airports in each continent making the top 20, though Asia saw seven airports in the top 10 list - three of which were in Japan alone. Europe managed to earn three spots in the top 10, which is an improvement from only two last year.
Australia's Melbourne Airport fell five spots from 2020, ranking 22 this year and knocking it and the continent out of the top 20 list for 2021. North America also lagged, with no airports earning a top 20 spot. Vancouver International Airport was the highest-ranking airport in the Americas at number 24, down from 13 in 2020. Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport managed to put the US in the top 30 this year with a rank of 25, followed by Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport at 42 and Denver International Airport at 44 - both of which dropped from 2020's top 30.
It's no doubt the pandemic has impacted these airports as compared to the 2019-2020 season, but their COVID-19 response was a factor in this year's survey.
Here's a closer look at the top 20 airports.
Izabela_h/Shutterstock.com
Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport moved up seven spots in 2020 to make the top 20 list. The airport is one of the busiest in Europe and hosts domestic, regional, international, and cargo flights for over 60 airlines. It serves as a hub for a handful of major carriers, including Iberia, Vueling, Ryanair, Air Europa, and EasyJet, and acts as a major connector between Europe and Latin America.
19. Dubai International AirportPatryk Kosmider/Shutterstock.com
Dubai International Airport has earned a spot in the top 20 list for the first time since 2017. The airport is a base for Emirates, FedEx Express, and Flydubai and has become one of the largest international hubs in the world, carrying over 86 million passengers in 2019. Although the pandemic slowed traffic in 2020 and 2021, Dubai maintained its presence in the industry as the world's biggest COVID-19 vaccine distribution center.
18. Copenhagen AirportEugenio Marongiu/Shutterstock.com
Copenhagen Airport jumped one spot from 19 to 18 in this year's top 20. The Danish airport is the largest of the Nordic countries and the busiest for international travel in Scandinavia. Copenhagen serves as the main base for Scandinavian Airlines but also acts as a hub for Norwegian Air Shuttle and Sunclass Airlines. The airport serves travelers in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Øresund Region, and many parts of southern Sweden.
17. Istanbul Airportgokcentunc/Shutterstock.com
Istanbul Airport made a huge leap from not making the top 100 list at all in 2020 to earning a top 20 spot in this year's rankings. The airport took over for Ataturk Airport in April 2019, which previously managed all commercial air traffic in the city. The new state-of-the-art facility has a passenger capacity of over 150 million per year, making it the largest aviation hub in the world, and offers a level of convenience and accessibility that Ataturk lacked.
With over 23 million passengers last year, Istanbul became the busiest airport in Europe, surpassing London Heathrow as traveler numbers plummeted during the pandemic. The airport is home to Turkish Airlines but is also served by major carriers like British Airways, Air France, Emirates, and Lufthansa.
16. Frankfurt AirportSSKSCK/Shutterstock.com
Frankfurt Airport dropped two spots from number 14 last year but maintained its place in the top 20. The airport is the busiest in Germany by passenger traffic and was the world's first omnichannel airport, meaning passengers could shop inflight and pick up their products upon landing in a seamless eCommerce experience. Frankfurt is Lufthansa's main operating base and serves as a hub for charter airline Condor and AeroLogic, a joint cargo venture between DHL and Lufthansa Cargo.
15. Paris Charles de Gaulle AirportAlexandre Rotenberg/Shutterstock.com
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport improved its ranking from 20 to 15 this year. The airport is the main international gateway to Paris and is the largest airport in France, serving over 60 airlines. Sitting on the northern side of the city, Charles de Gaulle is a base for the national carrier Air France and acts as a hub for EasyJet and FedEx Express. It also serves as a focus city for low-cost carrier Vueling.
14. Guangzhou Baiyun International AirportMarkus Mainka/Shutterstock.com
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport made its way up the list from rank 30 to 14 in 2021. The airport is located in Guangdong province in southern China and serves as a hub for China Southern Airlines, FedEx Express, low-cost carrier 9 Air, Hainan Airlines, and Shenzhen Airlines. Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Guangzhou became the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic in 2020, handling 43.8 million travelers.
13. Helsinki-Vantaa AirportYasni/Shutterstock.com
Helsinki-Vantaa Airport jumped two spots to lucky number 13 this year. The airport is the busiest airport in Finland and the primary gateway into the region. Helsinki-Vantaa is the main operating base for flag carrier Finnair and its subsidiary Nordic Regional Airlines. The airport also serves as a hub for Dublin-based CityJet on behalf of Scandinavian Airlines and is a base for Jet Time, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Sunclass Airlines, and TUI fly Nordic.
12. Amsterdam Airport SchipholAnton Gvozdikov/Shutterstock.com
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol dropped out of the top 10 best airports in 2020 to number 12 in 2021. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is the national carrier operating out of Schiphol, connecting the country with Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and North America. Its regional affiliate KLM Cityhopper, along with low-cost carrier Transavia, are also based at the airport.
11. Nagoya's Chubu Centrair International AirportTungCheung/Shutterstock.com
Nagoya's Chubu Centrair International Airport is located in central Japan on a man-made island south of the city. It fell out of the top 10 in this year's ranking, falling from eight in 2020 to 11 in 2021. The airport took over all international and most domestic operations from Nagoya's Komaki Airport in 2005 and is home to All Nippon Airways and Jetstar Japan.
10. Hong Kong International AirportLee Yiu Tung/Shutterstock.com
Hong Kong International Airport maintained its top 10 place this year but fell four spots from six to 10. The airport is the largest cargo gateway globally and serves as a major passenger connector to China and the rest of Asia. Hong Kong is a hub for Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, HK Express, and cargo carrier Air Hong Kong.
9. Kansai International AirportLewis Tse Pui Lung/Shutterstock.com
Kansai International Airport improved from 10 to nine in 2021 and is one of three Japanese airports that made the top 10 list. Constructed on an artificial island in Osaka Bay, the airport is the primary gateway to the Greater Osaka Region of Japan and is the closest international airport to Kyoto and Kobe. Kansai hosts the longest terminal in the world and is a hub for All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Nippon Cargo Airlines, and low-cost carrier Peach.
8. London's Heathrow Airportpio3/Shutterstock
London's Heathrow Airport jumped four spots to make the top 10 list in 2021. Located on the west side of the city, the airport is the main international gateway to London and has consistently been one of the busiest airports in Europe year over year. Heathrow serves over 180 airports in 90 countries and offers travelers access to nearly every corner of the globe. It is home to British Airways and is a main operating base for airlines like Virgin Atlantic, KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas, and Singapore Airlines.
7. Zurich AirportKo Aun Lee/Shutterstock.com
Zurich Airport improved its ranking by four spots to make the top 10 this year. The airport is the largest international airport in Switzerland and connects travelers to the city and, via ground transport links, many other parts of the country. It serves as a primary hub for Swiss International Air Lines and its sister company Edelweiss Air.
6. Munich International AirportSavvapanf Photo/Shutterstock.com
Munich International Airport fell one spot to number six in 2021. The airport is the second-busiest airport by passenger traffic in Germany behind Frankfurt and carried 47.9 million passengers in 2019. Munich serves as a hub for Lufthansa and its subsidiaries Lufthansa CityLine, Air Dolomiti, and Eurowings. It also acts as a base for Condor and TUI fly Deutschland.
5. Tokyo's Narita International AirportLon U / Shutterstock.com
Tokyo's Narita International Airport is the second Japanese airport to make the top 10 list at number five. Narita is one of Tokyo's primary airports and is the busiest in the country by international passenger traffic. It serves as a hub for Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Nippon Cargo Airlines, and low-cost carriers Peach and Jetstar Japan.
4. Seoul's Incheon International AirportSorbis/Shutterstock.com
Seoul's Incheon International Airport maintained its number four spot in this year's rankings. The airport is the primary airport serving the Seoul area and is the largest airport in South Korea. Incheon is built on an artificially constructed piece of land west of the city center and hosts over 80 airlines. It serves as a hub for Korean Air and its subsidiary Jin Air, Asiana Airlines, and Polar Air Cargo.
3. Singapore Changi AirportKatie Warren/Insider
Singapore Changi Airport ended its eight-year rein after falling to number three in the 2021 top 10 list. The airport has been consistently named one of the cleanest and most entertaining airports globally, hosting a movie theater and butterfly garden, though both are closed due to the pandemic. Changi is Singapore's primary air transport center and one of the largest in Asia. It is an operating base for Singapore Airlines, Singapore Airlines Cargo, Scoot, Jetstar Asia Airways, and BOC Aviation.
2. Tokyo International Airportglen photo/Shutterstock.com
Tokyo International Airport, also known as Haneda International Airport, maintained its number two spot this year. The airport is Tokyo's second primary airport and handles a large portion of domestic travel, though the airport is evolving to handle more international traffic. Haneda is the leading domestic base for major carriers Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airlines, though it also serves as a hub for regional airlines Air Do and Solaseed Air and low-cost carrier Skymark Airlines.
1. Doha's Hamad International AirportPhilip Lange.Shutterstock.com
Doha's Hamad International Airport took the number one spot in this year's rankings, up two places from 2020. Home to Qatar Airways, Hamad is the country's only international airport and offers flights across six continents. It is praised for its cleanliness, comfort, posh boutiques, unique artwork, COVID-19 response, and indoor train that shuttles passengers through the terminal. Hamad is the Official Airport Partner for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and is undergoing an expansion to accommodate 58 million passengers by the event.
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