World’s best airports revealed as Heathrow slips out of top 10

Doha’s airport nudged Singapore Changi off the top spot in 2021

Doha’s Hamad International airport took the top spot (Getty Images)

The world’s best airports have been announced in the annual Skytrax World Airport Awards, with Qatar’s Doha Hamad International taking the top spot for the second year running.

Meanwhile, the UK’s main aviation hub, Heathrow Airport, slipped out of the top 10 entirely, going from number eight in last year’s rankings to number 13 in the latest list.

The list is based on customer votes, compiled from a customer satisfaction survey each year, which asks passengers to rank the facilities at 550 airports worldwide.

Doha’s airport was followed by Tokyo Haneda, Singapore Changi, Tokyo Narita and Seoul Incheon in a top five dominated by Asian nations.

The Qatari hub knocked Singapore Changi airport off the top spot in 2021, after the latter had been crowned the world’s best eight years running.

The top 10 was rounded out by Paris Charles de Gaulle, Munich, Istanbul, Zurich and Japan’s Kansai airport, near Osaka.

Both of Tokyo’s airports have made the top five the last two years, and the top 10 the past four years running.

Dubai’s airport ranks just below Heathrow at number 14, while Auckland and Sydney’s main airports are way down the rankings at 40 and 41 respectively.

Brisbane was the highest ranked Australian airport at number 22.

London Gatwick is at number 69, the only other UK airport represented in the top 100 worldwide.

Meanwhile Alicante, Iceland’s Keflavik and Palma de Mallorca represent numbers 98, 99 and 100.

The winners were announced at the Passenger Terminal Expo in Paris on Thursday.

“Whilst airports worldwide continued to be impacted by the pandemic throughout 2021, Hamad International Airport served 17.1 million passengers in 2021 and continued with its expansion plans,” said Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted.

“We are thrilled that Qatar’s main gateway to the world has once again been named the world’s best airport at the 2022 World Airport Awards – adding another milestone achievement to HIA’s history,” said Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, the chief operating officer at Hamad International.

“Our commitment and service excellence continues to be a benchmark in the aviation industry thanks to our staff and stakeholders’ commitment and dedication – as we all look forward to an even brighter year ahead.”

World’s 10 best airports 2022

1. Doha Hamad International, Qatar
2. Tokyo Haneda, Japan
3. Singapore Changi, Singapore
4. Tokyo Narita, Japan
5. Seoul Incheon, South Korea
6. Paris Charles de Gaulle, France
7. Munich, Germany
8. Istanbul, Turkey
9. Zurich, Switzerland
10. Kansai International, Japan