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Pinoy Abroad

World's 10 best airports named

Published May 4, 2012 6:40pm

Asian airports dominated the recently concluded World Airport Awards in Vienna, Austria.

SKYTRAX, a United Kingdom-based consultancy specializing in air travel, listed six airports in Asia as among the world’s 10 best. Citing results from customer satisfaction surveys covering 12 million passengers from 109 countries spanning 10-month period, SKYTRAX said the world’s ten best airports are:

1. Incheon International Airport

Seoul, South Korea (Estimated number of Filipinos: 82,359*)

Incheon was again named the world’s best airport this year, garnering top 5 finishes in eight of

the 10 eligible categories.

In a press release, SKYTRAX Chairman Edward Plaisted praised Incheon’s “consistency” in giving the best experience to passengers.

Incheon, which first topped the list in 2009, was one of the only three airports in the world to

have been given a five-star grade by SKYTRAX. Its top-rate amenities include a golf course, a spa, an ice skating rink, a casino, and Museum of Korean Culture.

2. Singapore Changi Airport

Singapore (Estimated number of Filipinos: 160,020*)

Changi Airport was SKYTRAX’ best airport in 2000, 2006, and 2010. This year it was named the best airport for transit passengers and leisure amenities.

3. Hong Kong International Airport

Hong Kong (Estimated number of Filipinos: 169,749*)

HKIA has topped SKYTRAX’ list for eight of the last thirteen years, a feat unmatched by any other airport in the world. It shares with Incheon and Changi the distinction of being the only airport

In the word to be given a full five-star rating. It is also the world’s busiest airport by cargo traffic.

4. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

The Netherlands (Estimated number of Filipinos: 19,658*)

The Netherlands' main international gateway has a very interesting history. The field where

the airport lies used to be a lake in the 19th century, and Schiphol actually means “Ship Grave”,

owing to the number of ships lost in the lake from storms.

5. Beijing Capital International Airport

Beijing, China (Estimated number of Filipinos: 26,772)

Beijing Capital is the world’s second busiest airport after Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta.

Its Terminal 3, which was opened in 2008 in time for the Beijing Olympics, is the world’s second

largest airport terminal and world’s fifth largest building by area.

6. Munich Airport

Munich, Germany (Estimated number of Filipinos: 55,821*)

Germany’s second largest airport after Frankfurt, the Munich airport serves as one of the two hubs of the national flag carrier Lufthansa. It was voted Europe’s best airport from in 2010, and from 2005

to 2008.

7. Zurich Airport

Zurich, Switzerland (Estimated number of Filipinos:19,529*)

Switzerland’s largest international airport is one of the only eight airports in the world to be

given by SKYTRAX a four-star rating.

8. Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Estimated number of Filipinos: 316,273*)

One of the largest airports in Southeast Asia, KLIA is the first airport in the world to be

accredited with Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Assured certificate from Airports Council

International, a nonprofit trade organization of the world’s airports.

9. Vancouver International Airport

Vancouver, Canada (Estimated number of Filipinos: 667,674*)

Vancouver International Airport has been named by SKYTRAX as the best airport in North

America in 2010 and 2011.

10. Central Japan International Airport

Nagoya, Japan (Estimated number of Filipinos: 290,358*) Central Japan International Airport Centrair, also known as Chubu Airport, is Japan's third most important international airport after Tokyo's Narita Airport and Osaka's Kansai Airport.

Constructed on a man-made island in the Bay of Ise, Central Japan Airport was opened in February 2005. It is located about 40 kilometers south of Nagoya.

SKYTRAX has the world’s largest airline and airport review website, covering 681 airlines and

725 airports across the globe. It has been conducting airport customer surveys since 1999,

which assess “total passenger experience” across 39 airport service products and features,

encompassing arrival, departure, security, immigration, and amenities.

Meanwhile, no Philippine airports have yet been given an official star rating by SKYTRAX. Last year, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 was ranked the world’s worst airport by another airport review site, sleepinginairports.net.

Incheon was named the world’s best airport for the second time, garnering top 5 finishes in

eight of the ten eligible categories.

In a press release, SKYTRAX Chairman Edward Plaisted praised Incheon’s “consistency” in giving the best experience to passengers.

Incheon, which first topped the list in 2009, was one of the only three airports in the world to

have been given a five-star grade by SKYTRAX.

The other two are also in Asia, the Changi Airport in Singapore and the Hong Kong International

Airport (HKIA), which placed second and third respectively.

HKIA, which has topped the list eight times in the last thirteen years, was declared the

world’s cleanest airport.

Meanwhile, Changi -- the world’s best airport in 2000, 2006, and 2010 -- was named the world’s

best airport for transit passengers and leisure amenities.

Three other Asian airports made it to the list, including Beijing Capital International Airport

(fourth), Kuala Lumpur International Airport (eighth), and Central Japan International Airport

(tenth).

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (fourth), Munich Airport (sixth), Zurich Airport (seventh), and the

Vancouver International Airport (ninth), make up the rest.

SKYTRAX is the world’s largest airline and airport review website, covering 681 airlines and

725 airports across the globe. It has been conducting airport customer surveys since 1999,

which assess “total passenger experience” across 39 airport service products and features,

encompassing arrival, departure, security, immigration, and amenities.

Tags: airport, airline