A new ranking lists the best airports in the world, with one airport standing out above the rest.
Based on criteria such as punctuality, customer reviews, and the variety and quality of restaurants and shops, the Berlin-based passenger rights portal AirHelp has created a ranking of the world’s best airports. Japan managed to place five airports in the top 20, but the crown goes to a different country. Germany’s largest airport by passenger volume received a very poor rating in the international comparison. The ranking compares data from May 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024.
This is the Best Airport in the World
According to the ranking, the best airport in the world is Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar. The airport offers numerous shops and restaurants, a tropical garden, art installations, and prayer rooms. The ranking particularly highlights the shopping and dining options. With an overall score of 8.52, the airport leads the comparison.
Cape Town Airport in South Africa follows in second place, narrowly missing the top spot with an overall score of 8.50. According to the survey, this airport excels particularly in terms of punctuality. Cape Town Airport, Brasilia Airport (rank 5), and Panama-Tocumen Airport (rank 12) are the most punctual in the world, with scores of 8.6 in this category.
Japan is well-represented in the ranking of the best airports in the world, frequently securing top positions. Nagoya-Chubu Airport ranks third in the international comparison, scoring particularly well in customer reviews with an 8.49, just 0.01 points behind the second place. Close behind is Osaka-Itami Airport (8.46, rank 4). Other Japanese airports in the top 20 include Tokyo-Narita (8.24, rank 10), Nagasaki (8.20, rank 13), and New Chitose (8.11, rank 20).
Frankfurt Performs Particularly Poorly
Germany’s largest airport ends up at the bottom of the ranking. Frankfurt Airport receives an overall score of 6.99, placing it 222nd out of 239. The best German airport is Dortmund Airport, with a score of 8.02, ranking 32nd. Stuttgart follows in 63rd place with a score of 7.83, Düsseldorf in 76th with 7.77, Hamburg in 118th with 7.59, and Cologne/Bonn in 125th with 7.57. Bavarian airports rank in the lower half of the list. Munich is 161st with a score of 7.37, and Nuremberg is 202nd with 7.15. Memmingen Airport was not listed.
The worst airport in the comparison is Tunis-Carthage Airport in Tunisia, ranking 239th. The lowest overall score is 5.35, notably with a 4.8 for punctuality—the worst score by far on the list. The second last is Heraklion Airport with 6.51 points, followed by London Gatwick Airport, which shares a score of 6.53 with Nikola Tesla Airport in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, at 236th place.
