Singapore Changi Airport has reclaimed its crown as the World’s Best Airport at the 2023 Skytrax World Airport Awards held at Passenger Terminal Expo in Amsterdam on March 15, 2023. Changi Airport also won the awards for the World’s Best Airport Dining, World’s Best Airport Leisure Amenities and Best Airport in Asia.
Lee Seow Hiang, CEO, Changi Airport Group (CAG), said, “Changi Airport is honored to be named World’s Best Airport for the 12th time. This recognition is great encouragement to our airport community, who stood firmly together to battle the challenges of Covid-19 over the past two years. We thank them for their dedication to serve Changi’s passengers and the perseverance to keep Singapore connected to the world. To our passengers, we are deeply grateful for your vote of confidence. Your continued support encourages us to keep pursuing service excellence as we expand our offerings to redefine the Changi Experience. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Changi Airport as we rediscover the magic of travel again.”
Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, said, “We congratulate Singapore Changi Airport on being named the World’s Best Airport for 2023. After being severely hit during the Covid-19 pandemic, it is pleasing to note that passenger numbers at Changi Airport are now at about 80% of pre-Covid-19 levels, and expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2024. This recognition for Changi Airport is from the airport customers and serves to underline the airport’s popularity with international air travelers. Winning this award as the World’s Best Airport is a very clear recognition of the team effort among all staff at the airport who contribute to Changi Airport’s success.”
The 2021 and 2022 Airport of the Year, Hamad International Airport, Doha, took second place in the global ranking and won three top awards for the World’s Best Airport Shopping, the Best Airport in the Middle East and the Cleanest Airport in the Middle East.
Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, chief operating officer at Hamad International Airport, said, “We are delighted to collect these accolades by the prestigious Skytrax World Airport Awards, we will continue to strive to provide our passengers with an exceptional travel experience and provide our partners with the best facility and unmatched service. We stay committed to our growth plans and maintaining highest standards in the global travel industry.”
Tokyo Haneda Airport, third in the global ranking, continued its previous year successes, winning the awards for the World’s Cleanest Airport, the World’s Best Domestic Airport and the Best Airport PRM & Accessible Facilities.
Seoul’s Incheon Airport, ranked fourth globally, won awards for the World’s Best Airport Staff Service, the World’s Best Airport Immigration Processing, and Best Airport Staff in Asia.
Among other global Award winners, Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport was named the World’s Most Improved Airport, and Chubu Centrair International Airport, Nagoya, won the World’s Best Regional Airport award, with Centrair’s Terminal 2 receiving the Best Low-Cost Airline Terminal award.
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport won the award for the World’s Best Airport Hotel for a remarkable eighth consecutive year.
Zurich Airport repeated last year’s success, winning the World’s Best Airport Security Processing award, and Bahrain International Airport took top honors with the award for the World’s Best Airport Baggage Delivery. Terminal B, LaGuardia Airport received the award for the World’s Best New Airport Terminal, on the same day that this new Terminal B received the highest 5-Star Airport Terminal Rating from Skytrax. Paris CDG Airport was named the Best Airport in Europe, with Munich Airport winning the Best Airport Staff Service in Europe award, as well as the Best Airport in Central Europe.
Dusseldorf Airport was named the Best Regional Airport in Europe. Commenting on the achievement, Dr Henning Pfisterer, senior vice president aviation and accountable manager at Düsseldorf Airport, said, “It is an honor to receive this award for the second year in a row despite prevailing challenges in the aviation industry. This achievement would not be possible without the extraordinary dedication of our entire team and the valuable cooperation with our partners at the airport. We will passionately continue our efforts to meet passengers’ expectations and to provide a seamless and joyful travel experience.”
Helsinki Airport was a repeat winner of the Best Airport in Northern Europe award. Ulla Lettijeff, director of Helsinki Airport at Finavia, said, “We are proud that our passengers have once again chosen Helsinki Airport as the best airport in Northern Europe. Our airport continues to have a strong position among the best airports in the world.”
Istanbul Airport won awards for the Most Family Friendly Airport and the Best Airport in Southern Europe.
Skytrax introduced the new Art in the Airport award for 2023, with Houston Airport System winning in recognition of the art standards across its two airports, William P Hobby Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Houston Airport. For the 2023 Art in the Airport, the results were based on the Skytrax judging panel and not customer survey results. Mario Diaz, director of aviation for Houston Airports, said, “Houston Airports is relentless in its quest to create a global air service gateway where the magic of flight is celebrated. We’ve thoughtfully invested in and curated works of art representative of our city and the greater global community we diligently work to serve. It is an honor to know our unique visual and performing arts experience resonate not only with customers but also with Skytrax. Art is magical, and with imagination and innovation, the magic of art inspires Houston Airports to elevate the world’s best art experience to new heights.”
Elsewhere, in North America, Seattle–Tacoma International Airport won the award for the Best Airport in North America. Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL) received the award for Best Airport Staff in North America. Philippe Rainville, president and CEO of Aéroports de Montréal (ADM), said, “With a strong recovery in aviation activity in 2022 creating many challenges for our industry, I am very proud that the excellent work of employees in our airport community has been recognized. YUL has distinguished itself for many years by the way it welcomes people and for its commitment to championing the passenger experience. So, winning this award twice in the last five years is no accident. To the more than 13,000 people who are dedicated to serving passengers every day and who, above all, have continued to smile during the most difficult times over the past year, I say thank you and, above all, bravo!”
In South America, Bogota’s El Dorado International Airport won the Best Airport in South America award. Natalí Leal, general manager of Opain, the operating company of the Bogotá airport, said, “Receiving this recognition is a source of immense pride and satisfaction for all the people, companies and entities that work tirelessly to make the operation of El Dorado possible. With this recognition, for the second consecutive year, we continue to consolidate the airport of all Colombians as a point of reference in the region. We will continue working with excellence and dedication to offer an exceptional service to the more than 36 million passengers that pass through our terminal.”
Quito International Airport received the awards for the Best Regional Airport in South America and the Best Airport Staff in South America. Ramón Miró, CEO of Quiport, said, “Maintaining leadership in the region is a huge responsibility and we are committed to continue working to find opportunities for improvement and adequately understand the expectations of our passengers. We are proud to receive these awards from Skytrax, which show that in Ecuador we can provide an airport service with high levels of excellence and, above all, with the warmth that characterizes Ecuadorians. I thank all the companies and institutions that work at the Quito International Airport because this award belongs to all of them.”
San José’s Juan Santamaría International Airport took top honors by winning the awards for Best Regional Airport in Central America & Caribbean and Best Airport Staff in Central America & Caribbean. In Africa, Cape Town International Airport continued its multi-year success by winning the Best Airport in Africa and Best Airport Staff in Africa awards.
In the Australia / Pacific region, Melbourne Airport won the awards for Best Airport in Australia & Pacific and the Best Airport Staff in Australia & Pacific. Gold Coast Airport won the award for Best Regional Airport in Australia & Pacific. Queensland Airports Limited CEO Amelia Evans congratulated all of the team who work at Gold Coast Airport: “To win this award for the fifth time is credit to the more than 2,200 team members who work at Gold Coast Airport, including our airline and retail partners. What makes these awards so special is that we don’t self-nominate, it’s based on direct feedback from the traveling public, so it’s the best indicator of our performance from a customer experience point of view. The recognition that comes with awards at this level not only puts Gold Coast Airport in the spotlight, but it places the Gold Coast and Northern New South Wales communities on the world stage. This has come at a particularly exciting time for Gold Coast Airport, with our new international terminal now open and new global connections on the horizon.”
Delhi Airport received the award for Best Airport in India / South Asia. The CEO of Delhi International Airport, Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, said, “It is the hard work and dedication of all the stakeholders which has helped Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) attain this unique feat. This acclamation by Skytrax reinforces DIAL’s commitment to constantly work toward bettering passenger experience, while developing sustainable and environment-friendly infrastructure at Delhi Airport.”
Hyderabad Airport won the awards for Best Regional Airport in India & South Asia and for the Best Airport Staff in India & South Asia. Commenting on the achievement, Pradeep Panicker, CEO, GHIAL, said, “We are thrilled to receive this award and be recognized for our commitment to provide an exceptional travel experience for our passengers. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our airport staff, stakeholders and partners working at Hyderabad Airport, who have worked relentlessly to deliver world-class services to our passengers. This recognition motivates us to continue to innovate and further improve the airport experiences and reinforce our commitment to provide a safe and seamless experience for all.”
In China, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport won the award for Best Airport in China, with Haikou Meilan International Airport winning awards for the Best Regional Airport in China and the Best Airport Staff in China. The Hyatt Regency Shenzhen Airport was named as the Best Airport Hotel in China.
To view the full listings of this year’s Skytrax winners, click here.