The best airport in the world revealed – with swimming pool, indoor forest and flights from the UK
THE best airport in the world has been revealed – it has a swimming pool, an indoor jungle and direct flights from the UK.
Research carried out by Skytrax, a company that rates air transport, revealed the world’s best airports earlier this month.
To crown the winner, they analysed customer satisfaction surveys from over 500 airports.
Factors like cleanliness, friendliness of airport staff, transport links to and from the airport, terminal design and dining options were used to rank the airports.
In the rankings, Hamad International Airport in Doha took the top spot, thanks to features like a huge indoor garden and 65 retail and dining venues.
The airport, which is operated by Qatar Airways, first opened in 2014 and is Qatar Airways main aviation hub.
Despite only opening in 2014, the airport underwent a huge expansion in 2022.
Not only did the expansion see the airport’s annual passenger capacity double to 58million, but other new features also opened, including The Orchard – a huge indoor garden.
The 6,000sqm indoor tropical garden is home to over 300 trees and 25,000 plants from sustainable forests from around the world.
Installed as part of a green initiative, The Orchard has become a popular attraction in the airport for holidaymakers to visit thanks to its winding walkways.
Another popular feature with passengers is a giant yellow teddy bear that can be found in the centre of the retail area.
The bear, which appears to have its head stuck in a lamp, was created by visual artist Urs Fischer.
Stretching for 23m, the huge bear is made from cast bronze and weighs around 18 tonnes – and taking a selfie in front of the bear is almost obligatory.
Hamad International Airport is also home to plenty of shops including designer brands like Dior, Gucci, Tiffany and Co and YSL.
There are also high-street names too, like Kiehl’s, Revlon, Nikon, Apple and Pandora.
The airport also has a Wellbeing and Fitness Centre, which is open daily to airport passengers – although entry isn’t free.
Located on the fourth floor of Oryx Airport Hotel, the fitness centre has its own pool, gym, hydrotherapy tubs and shower rooms.
Massages, beauty treatments, squash courts and a golf simulator can also be booked.
The Oryx Airport Hotel is quite literally located within Hamad International Airport’s passenger terminal.
Passengers can either book to stay at the hotel or pay an hourly rate to use its facilities.
There are also four airport lounges, including the Louis Vuitton Lounge, which caters to first class business passengers.
The airport serves 250 destinations across the globe, including the UK with direct flights operating from London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh, with £381 for a return fare.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Badr Al Meer told the Sydney Morning Herald: “Truly honoured that passengers have voted us Best Airport in the world for a third time.”
Meanwhile, Singapore Changi Airport, which was number one last year, dropped down to second place.
Last year, Singapore Changi Airport was named the best in the world following a huge three-year renovation.
The airport is known for having a large indoor waterfall, a huge cinema and a sports arena.
Also in the top 10 were Seoul Incheon Airport, Tokyo Haneda Airport, Tokyo Narita Airport, Paris CDG Airport, Dubai Airport, Munich Airport, Zurich Airport and Istanbul Airport.
The world’s top 20 airports for 2024
These are the 20 best airports in the world in 2024, with seven European places making the list.
- Doha Hamad Airport
- Singapore Changi Airport
- Seoul Incheon Airport
- Tokyo Haneda Airport
- Tokyo Narita Airport
- Paris CDG Airport
- Dubai Airport
- Munich Airport
- Zurich Airport
- Istanbul Airport
- Hong Kong Airport
- Rome Fiumicino Airport
- Vienna Airport
- Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
- Madrid-Barajas
- Centrair Nagoya Airport
- Vancouver Airport
- Kansai Airport
- Melbourne Airport
- Copenhagen Airport.
If you can’t quite go as far as Doha, a huge £7billion airport could soon open in Europe, with hopes to start flights from 2028.
Warsaw Solidarity Airport, also known as Central Communication Port, hopes to start construction by the end of the year, and could rival Heathrow and Dubai for long haul flights.
