Unexpected winner crowned 'world's best airport' as Aussie spots miss out
No one ever enjoys killing time at an airport, but there may be a few exceptions.
Though Singapore's Changi Airport is constantly celebrated for its amazing amenities, a different one has taken out the top spot on the list of world's best.
Enter: Cape Town International Airport.
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The airport in South Africa was ranked number one out of over 250 airports, based on punctuality, service, and amenities.
AirHelp, an online flight compensation and rights service, ranks global airports each year using three factors: on-time performance (60 per cent of the score), service quality (20 per cent), and food and shopping (20 per cent).
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This year, Cape Town International came out on top, with a score of 8.57 out of 10.
The punctuality of flights coming into and out of the airport was a main reason for it scoring so high.
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Cape Town's airport has a great reputation for punctuality. Getty
Australian airports were noticeably absent from the top 50 airports around the world. Our first appearance on the list is Gold Coast Airport, coming in at number 58. Adelaide was close behind, at 64.
Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane were ranked 113th, 114th, and 131st, respectively.
Along with data sourced by AirHelp, the ranking also incorporates feedback from 13,500 travellers across 58 countries.
The Gold Coast has the best airport in Australia. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Coming in second and third place are Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha, Qatar, with a score of 8.52, and Riyadh King Khalid Airport (KKIA) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a score of 8.47.
According to Airports Company South Africa, Cape Town Airport handled a total of 10.49 million two-way passengers in 2024.
Cape Town is celebrated as being a city that truly has it all, according to 9Travel contributor Dilvin Yasa.
"Located on the northern end of the Cape Peninsula, this is not only a town that's centred around Table Mountain, it's the meeting point of two oceans and is only a short drive away from the country's famous wine regions and private game reserves," she writes of the city.
READ MORE: The Cape Town hit-list: Where to eat, drink, stay and play in the South African capital
Cape Town is a jumping-off point for exploring the rest of Africa. Getty
The top 20 airports in the world:
- Cape Town International Airport in South Africa
- Doha Hamad International Airport in Qatar
- Riyadh King Khaled International Airport in Saudi Arabia
- Brasilia – Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek Airport in Brazil
- Muscat International Airport in Oman
- Panama City Tocumen Airport in Panama
- Durban King Shaka Airport in South Africa
- Salt Lake City Airport in the United States
- Bergen Flesland Airport in Norway
- Dammam King Fahd Airport in Saudi Arabia
