This is the world’s best airport for 2025, according to Skytrax

CNN —

Killing time in the airport is ordinarily such a drag that there’s a whole TikTok trend devoted to people making it through the terminal in as little time as possible.

Not so in Singapore Changi, which has just been crowned the World’s Best Airport for the 13th time by air transport rating organization Skytrax.

Changi is a destination in itself, where early check-in has been introduced to allow passengers to drop their bags off up to 48 hours before their flight so they can make their time at the airport part of the vacation.

Most will hit the mammoth 10-story Jewel shopping mall, with its footfall of 80 million people in 2024. Then there are the multiple indoor gardens (including a butterfly center) and the 40-meter high Rain Vortex, the world’s largest indoor waterfall (around 130 feet).

There are spas, hotels, art exhibitions, a museum, a cinema; there’s even a dinosaur theme park.

Skytrax has also recognized the airport as a gastronomic wonderland. It scooped up the award for World’s Best Airport Dining, as well as those for World’s Best Airport Washrooms and Best Airport in Asia, at the World Airport Awards held in Madrid on April 9.

It’s unlikely to be the last accolade earned by this exemplary airport.

Changi is investing more than $2 billion in the next six years on the improvement of services and facilities, CNN Business reported last month.

It’s also set to get even bigger. Work is underway on a fifth terminal to add to the existing four, which will open in the 2030s.

The world’s no. 2 airport, according to Skytrax’s global survey of customers at 565 airports around the world, is the artwork-filled and architecturally splendid Hamad International in Qatar, easily one of the most luxurious aviation hubs in the world. It also won awards for Best Airport Shopping and Best Airport in the Middle East.

Asian airports nabbed spots three through six on the list, proving once again that the region is leaving North America and Europe to play catch-up when it comes to air transport excellence.

Tokyo Haneda (also named the World’s Cleanest Airport) was at No. 3, followed by Seoul’s Incheon International (also awarded World’s Best Airport Staff), Narita International (serving Tokyo) and Hong Kong International.

Nine European airports made it into the top 20. At No. 7, Paris Charles de Gaulle was named Best Airport in Europe for the third year in a row. Rome Fiumicino, having a busy year thanks to the Catholic Church’s Jubilee celebrations, was at No. 8.

Munich, Zurich and Helsinki-Vantaa were in 9th, 10th and 12th place respectively and Istanbul Airport, on the European side of the continent-straddling city, was at No. 14. Istanbul was also named the World’s Most Family-Friendly Airport.

Vienna (No. 15), Copenhagen (No. 18) and Amsterdam Schiphol (No. 19) all made the cut, but London Heathrow, the busiest airport in Europe, didn’t pick up any gongs.

The only airport from the Americas to make the list was Vancouver International at No. 13. Cape Town Airport didn’t make the top 20, but was named Best Airport in Africa and Best Airport Staff Service in Africa.

The rest of the top 20 was made up of Dubai International at No. 11, Melbourne at No. 16, Japan’s Chubu Centrair at No. 17 (also named World’s Best Regional Airport) and Bahrain international at No.20.

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport won the award for World’s Best Airport Baggage Delivery, Copenhagen was acclaimed for the World’s Best Airport Security Processing and Hong Kong International scooped the gong for World’s Best Airport Immigration.