The annual Skytrax World Airport Awards was released on August 5 and this year, the top spot goes to Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar. The airport was in third place in 2020 but climbed two places to beat out Singapore’s Changi Airport in the latest evaluation.
Aside from gaining the top recognition as the World’s Best Airport, Hamad International Airport also bagged the Best Airport in the Middle East, the World’s Best Airport in the 25 to 35 million Passenger category, as well as the Best Airport Staff in the Middle East.
Hamad International Airport was inaugurated in 2014 and has since been rapidly becoming a hot favourite among travellers. The airport is also preparing for the influx of crowds as Doha plays host to the FIFA World Cup next year. Ahead of the international event, the capacity of the airport has been increasing to fit an annual 53 million visitors as well as building a 110,000 square-foot tropical garden, complete with a waterfall that’s approximately 900 feet tall.
“As travel hubs worldwide have been impacted by the pandemic, Hamad International Airport was undeterred by the global travel disruptions and continued with its expansion plans while introducing additional airport health and safety standards,” Edward Plaisted of Skytrax said in a statement.
Despite losing out on the first position, Changi Airport is still a highly respected airport. Currently in third position, it was also named the World’s Best Airport in the 10 to 15 million Passenger category and was conferred the World’s Best Airport Staff and the Best Airport Staff in Asia awards. Skytrax has awarded five-star Covid-19 safety ratings to Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Scoot. The low-cost carrier is the first in the world to get this rating from Skytrax.
Below is the ranking for the top 10 airports in the world:
- Hamad International Airport
- Tokyo Haneda Airport
- Singapore Changi Airport
- Incheon International Airport
- Narita International Airport
- Munich Airport
- Zurich Airport
- London Heathrow Airport
- Kansai International Airport
- Hong Kong International Airport
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