The world's top 25 airports of 2017
UK-based aviation research institute Skytrax announced the winners of the World Airport Awards 2017, also known as the Passengers Choice Awards, on March 14, 2017. The winners were selected on the basis of millions of customer satisfaction surveys. Let’s take a look at the top 25 winners from this year.
25. Beijing Capital Airport, China
The busiest airport in Asia in terms of passengers served, Beijing Airport boasts the world’s second largest terminal building (Terminal 3) after Dubai Airport. Opened in 1958, it is also the hub for Air China, the country’s flag carrier.
24. Vienna International Airport, Austria
Originally served as a military airport when it opened in 1938, the airport's Austrian Star Alliance Terminal that opened in 2012 helps it handle almost 30 million passengers a year. There has also not been a fatal accident at the airport since 1955.
23. Sydney Airport, Australia
The oldest commercial airport in the world, Sydney Airport began operating in 1919. Today it is Australia’s busiest airport, capable of handling more than 35 million passengers a year.
22. Auckland Airport, New Zealand
Serving more than 16 million passengers every year, the airport is also capable of handling some of the biggest aircraft in the world such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380.
21. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan
The country’s largest airport, it was previously known as Chiang Kai-shek International Airport. It currently has two terminals that are connected by the TTIA Skytrain, a driverless transport system.
20. Dubai Airport
The world’s busiest airport by international passengers traffic, it is home to Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East. It houses two open-air gardens, spas, a gym and a swimming pool.
19. Cape Town International Airport, South Africa
South Africa’s second busiest airport and the continent’s third busiest, Cape Town International Airport opened in 1954. The terminal features a split-level design with arrivals and departures on distinct levels.
18. Shanghai Hongqiao
Majorly a hub of domestic and regional flights, it is the seventh busiest airport in the country. Hongqiao Airport was used as a Japanese airbase during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945).
17. Helsinki Airport, Finland
Also called Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, it is the leading long-haul airport in Northern Europe and the country’s biggest airport. It also serves as the main hub of Finnair, the flag carrier of Finland.
16. Brisbane Airport, Australia
Brisbane Airport, which is the largest airport in Australia in terms of land area, directly serves 28 international destinations. It has been privately managed by Brisbane Airport Corporation since 1997, with no government funding.
15. Copenhagen Airport, Denmark
Founded in 1925, it was one of the first civil airports in the world and remains one of the oldest international airports in Europe. Today, it houses the five-star Hilton Hotel with 382 rooms.
14. Narita International Airport, Japan
Also known as Tokyo Narita Airport, it is one of two airports that serves the Greater Tokyo area. Narita has the longest runway in Japan and handles around 50 per cent of the country's international passenger traffic.
13. Vancouver International Airport, Canada
Canada's second busiest airport, it is the only North American airport to make it to the top 25 on the list. It is one of the few international airports that has a terminal for floatplanes.
12. Kansai International Airport, Japan
The airport started in 1994 to relieve the overcrowded Osaka International Airport, and since then has become the international hub for All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Nippon Cargo Airlines and Peach.
11. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, the Netherlands
Europe's third busiest airport started as a military airbase in 1916 and civilian use started only after the end of World War I. One of the unique features of the airport is that passengers can also hold wedding ceremonies inside its premises.
10. Frankfurt Airport, Germany
It serves as the main hub for the German national carrier Lufthansa. With 293 destinations, this airport has more direct routes than any other in the world.
9. Heathrow Airport, England
One of the most popular airports in the world,
London's Heathrow is Europe's busiest airport. It has its own resident press corps and multi-faith chaplains.
8. Zürich Airport, Switzerland
Also known as Kloten Airport, it has been operational since 1948. Switzerland's largest airport, it also serves as the hub for the country's flag carrier Swiss International Air Lines.
7. Chubu Centrair International Airport, Japan
Built on an artificial island in Ise Bay, the airport has a sky deck that lets one observe the entire area. It even has a bathhouse, the only airport in Japan to have one.
6. Hamad International Airport, Qatar
Opened in 2014, Hamad is the only Middle Eastern airport to receive a '5-Star Airport' designation by Skytrax.
5. Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong
Colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport, it is the world's busiest cargo gateway. At the time of its opening in 1998, it had the world's largest passenger terminal building. The airport serves as the hub for Hong Kong’s national carrier Cathay Pacific.
4. Munich Airport, Germany
The second-busiest German airport has flights to more than 240 destinations across the globe. It offers airport tours, has an observation deck and even a dental practice and lab for any last-minute dental emergencies.
3. Incheon International Airport, South Korea
The largest airport in the country is also one of the largest, busiest and cleanest in the world. It has a spa, golf course, casino, museum and even an ice skating rink.
2. Tokyo International Haneda, Japan
One of the two airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area, it opened in 1931 and was also used as an American airbase during the U.S. occupation in post-World War II. It was also voted the world's cleanest airport.
1. Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore
Topping the list for fifth year in a row, Changi Airport is one of the largest transport hubs in Southeast Asia and also one of the busiest in the world. The airport boasts two 24-hour movie theaters, rooftop swimming pool and a butterfly garden.
UK-based aviation research institute Skytrax announced the winners of the World Airport Awards 2017, also known as the Passengers Choice Awards, on March 14, 2017. The winners were selected on the basis of millions of customer satisfaction surveys. Let’s take a look at the top 25 winners from this year.
