This year, Hamad Airport in Doha was awarded the title of “Best Airport in the World” in the World Airport Awards. This is quite a surprise, because for the first time in almost a decade, Singapore’s Changi airport is no longer in the first place.
The success of Hamad Airport in Doha is the result of the hard work of Qatar Airways and the Qatar government. The authorities of this country have invested huge amounts of money in recent years, both in their national carrier and in the development of the airport in Doha. It paid off, because the airport, after years of climbing in the World Airport Awards this year, took first place in it, winning the honorable title of “The best airport in the world”.
The port in Doha has a short history – it was put into use in 2014. It prides itself not only on its modern architecture, but also on excellent service. Travelers can count on numerous amenities: a rich dining area, rest rooms with reclining armchairs, modern playrooms, entertainment points equipped with TVs and computers, as well as a parent and child room. It was the number and quality of these amenities that made Hamad Airport the highest rated among travelers.
The second place in the ranking was taken by Tokyo-Haneda airport, the third place belongs to the previous winner of this ranking, Changi airport in Singapore. Its characteristic element is the Jewel, which is a combination of a garden, a passenger terminal (with check-in and ticket sales desks) and a shopping and entertainment center. The construction of the Gem, began in 2013, and was put into operation six years later.
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There is no Polish airport
The top ten of the ranking also included Incheon in the capital of South Korea, Narita in Japan, airport. Franz Josef Strauss in Munich, Zurich Airport, London Heathrow Airport, Japanese Kansai Airport and Hong Kong Airport. The entire ranking includes as many as 100 airports from around the world. Unfortunately, not a single Polish airport was included in this list.
The annual ranking of the world’s best airports is compiled by Skytrax, an independent UK-based aviation consulting group. The list is based on the results of the global traveler satisfaction survey, which was conducted from August 2020 to July 2021.
A special mention in times of a pandemic
This year, Skytrax decided to award one more distinction, recognizing airports that, in the demanding and difficult time of the pandemic, demonstrated the highest quality of service and scrupulous adherence to health, hygiene and safety protocols during a global pandemic.
However, there was no single winner in the “COVID-19 Airport Excellence Awards” category – Skytrax simply decided to recognize the good work done by the employees of 39 airports. The winners listed in alphabetical order include: Alicante airport, Bahrain airport, Changi airport, Vantaa airport in Helsinki, airports in Istanbul and Kazan, Madrid’s Barajas and Rome’s Fiumicino.
Main photo source: gnoparus / Shutterstock