SINGAPORE: This year, Turkey’s IGA Istanbul Airport was chosen by the readers of the US-based Condé Nast Traveler as the top airport in the world.
It received a total of 93.51 points, while Singapore’s Changi Airport, this year’s runner-up, received 91.34 points.
South Korea’s Incheon Airport in Seoul, with 89.89 points, came in third, followed by Doha Airport in Qatar, with 88.92 points. Switzerland’s airport in Zurich rounds out the top five with 87.11 points.
Interestingly, the UK-based Condé Nast Traveller also recently published its Readers’ Choice Awards 2024.
For this poll, among 575,048 readers of the magazine, Changi Airport emerged as the readers’ choice for Best Airport in the world.
The city-state’s famed airport received a score of 93.61, while Doha’s Hamad International Airport came in second with a score of 91.90.
In third place was Switzerland’s airport in Zurich, with 91.51 points, followed by the Hong Kong International Airport, 91.25 points.
In the UK-based list, Turkey’s IGA Istanbul Airport came in fifth place, with 90.63 points.
Interestingly, when Travel + Leisure published its awards in July, IGA Istanbul Airport also topped the list among readers of the magazine, who gave the airport a score of 95.79.
Changi Airport scored 94.32 and took second place, but the publication noted that it’s one of the magazine’s World’s Best Award (WBA) Hall of Fame awardees.
IGA, however, made a stellar six-rung jump on the list this year, with one reader comparing it to a big shopping complex due to the large number of restaurants and variety of cuisines travellers can choose from.
The new airport opened only in 2018 and isn’t even complete yet. Nevertheless, more than 250 million travellers have already made their way through it.
Once construction on the airport is complete, it will be able to accommodate 200 million travellers yearly, bringing them to 300 destinations across the globe.
Nevertheless, Travel + Leisure readers still gave Changi Airport a lot of love.
“Changi is a true example of what airport standards should be at a minimum. I have been travelling through this airport for 30+ years, and it’s always kept its high standards. Always fondly go back,” wrote one.
Changi Airport has taken first place at the Skytrax’s Airport Awards an astounding 12 times. This year, however, it took second place to Qatar’s Doha Airport.
/TISG
Read also: Changi Airport ranks 5th among world’s most Instagrammable airports