What makes an international airport stand above the rest? The World Airport Awards recognize an airport’s ability to provide top-notch customer service as well as have great general facilities for customers.

Each year, Skytrax conducts a world airport survey, measuring over 40 different points of airport customer service. In this last year’s survey, over 165 airports were covered and over 7 million customers participated with over 90 countries represented. The World Airport Awards are based on these survey results.

The survey asked similar questions in covering the following airport functions:

1. How does the ease of accessibility rate in getting to and from the airport? 
2. Are there enough public transportation options? 
3. What are the prices and availability of taxi services? 
4. Were there amply luggage trolleys and were these in needed areas?
5. How is the comfort, appearance and cleanliness of the terminal? 
6. Is there ample seating? 
7. How long is waiting times at such places as security and check-in? 
8. Are the signs readable? 
9. What are the smoking policies? Are there smoking lounges? 
10. Are there easily accessible ATMs? 
11. Where are the telephones and fax locations? 
12. Is there a children’s play area? 
13. How clean are the bathrooms? 
14. Does the airport staff have the needed language skills? 
15. How friendly are the airport staff members? 
16. How many bars and restaurants are there? 
17. How pricey are the bars and restaurants? 
18. Does the airport provide internet and access? 
19. Is it easy to get through the airport in-between flights?

As a note, all of the costs of the survey are performed without sponsorship and Skytrax takes full responsibility for running an honest survey. They have strict guidelines for their survey performance. The data is complied from passenger interviews over the internet, business research group interviews, corporate travel interviews, telephone interviews and selective passenger interviews. As an example of their security measures, in the online interviews and/or questionnaires all users were screened with their ISP and user information and all multiple entries were deleted.

So which airports won awards for performance?

The following are some of the honorees and the categories they excelled within.

For the Best International Transit

1. Singapore Changi Airport 
2. Seoul Incheon Airport 
3. Copenhagen Airport

For the Best Airport Food 

1. Copenhagen Airport 
2. Hong Kong International Airport 
3. Stockholm Airport

For the Cleanest Public Bathrooms 

1. Kansas City International Airport 
2. Tokyo Narita Airport 
3. Seoul Incheon Airport

For the Best Baggage Delivery 

1. Hong Kong International Airport 
2. Kansas City International Airport 
3. Munich Airport 

For the Best in Staff Friendliness 

1. Brisbane International Airport 
2. Cape Town International Airport 
3. Auckland International Airport

For a more complete list, please see the World Airline Awards 2006 Category Winners. Skytrax also awarded rankings to the various airlines. Please see the article on the Top Ten Airlines In Customer Satisfaction  for more information.

Top World Aiports Sources

• Skytrax Airline Quality, “5 Star Airlines,” and “What Makes a “5 Star” Airline,” [online].
• World Airport Awards, “Category Winners,” and “Methodology,” [online].

Related Article: Top 10 Airlines in Customer Satisfaction >>