Travel + Leisure Readers' 10 Favorite International Airports of 2024

Stefanie Waldek

9 July 2024 at 6:00 am·4-min read

Travel + Leisure Readers' 10 Favorite International Airports of 2024

In our annual "World’s Best Awards" survey for 2024, readers loved easy-to-navigate airports full of entertainment across the Middle East and Asia, plus one standout from Europe.

If you're looking for a genuinely enjoyable airport experience, head to Asia. In the 2024 World's Best Awards survey, Travel + Leisure readers ranked a majority of airports from the continent as their favorites. But the one that topped the list and dethroned an 11-year champion? A European giant.

How Voting Works

Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Over 186,000 T+L readers completed the 2024 survey. A total of more than 700,000 votes were cast across over 8,700 properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).

Airports were specifically rated on the criteria below:

Access
Check-in/security
Restaurants/bars
Shopping
Design

For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.

What Readers Loved

Asian and Middle Eastern dominance is nearly complete when it comes to the 2024 World's Best Awards for international airports. This year, a monumental nine of 10 airports on the list were located in these regions — and it's perhaps little surprise why. Many of these airports are new, meaning they feature beautiful architectural designs, logical paths of navigation, and plenty of facilities to keep travelers entertained on a long layover.

Take, for instance, one voter's view of No. 8 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai: "Fantastic interior design showcasing Indian arts and crafts. Always amazes with its beauty. Efficient, user-friendly, well laid out."

Two of the top 10 airports resurfaced on the list after some time off: No. 9 Hong Kong International Airport, which was No. 6 in 2022, and No. 10 Osaka International Airport, whose last appearance was in 2021.

The other eight airports return to the list from last year, albeit in a different order — and that includes one very major shift. WBA Hall of Fame honoree Singapore Changi Airport has been our winner for 11 years in a row, but it's been knocked down a peg to No. 2. That's not to say that visitors find Changi subpar, though. "Changi is a true example of what airport standards should be at a minimum. I have been traveling through this airport for 30+ years, and it's always kept its high standards. Always fondly go back," wrote one voter.

As for our readers' new No. 1 pick? Read on to find the full list of the 10 best international airports in the 2024 World's Best Awards.

World's Best Awards 2024

The Winner

Istanbul Airport: Istanbul, Turkey

Jumping up six spots from last year, Istanbul Airport is our readers’ favorite international airport. Since it opened in 2018, the airport has seen more than 250 million passengers, and it isn't even complete yet. Once it is, it'll have the capacity for 200 million passengers per year, who will be able to fly to 300 destinations around the world. But even as an incomplete airport, it still makes its mark on passengers. "Istanbul Airport is one of my favorite airports to fly into," wrote one voter, who also praised the ease of navigation and friendliness of employees. "It's like a huge shopping mall with many different restaurants and a variety of cuisines that you can choose from."

The Full List

1. Istanbul Airport: Istanbul, Turkey

Reader Score: 95.79

2. Singapore Changi Airport: Singapore

WBA Hall of Fame honoree. Reader Score: 94.32

3. Hamad International Airport: Doha, Qatar

Reader Score: 88.65

4. Dubai International Airport: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Reader Score: 88.02

5. Incheon International Airport: Incheon, South Korea

Reader Score: 85.97

6. Abu Dhabi International Airport: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Reader Score: 85.94

7. Haneda (Tokyo International) Airport: Tokyo, Japan

Reader Score: 85.84

8. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport: Mumbai, India

Reader Score: 84.87

9. Hong Kong International Airport: Hong Kong, China

Reader Score: 84.81

10. Osaka International Airport: Osaka, Japan

Reader Score: 83.53

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How Voting Works

What Readers Loved

The Winner

The Full List

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