The world’s most beautiful airports have been named for 2026 - and not where you’d expect
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Forget gaudy carpets, flickering TVs, and rigid old chairs. These airports have been named the ‘most beautiful’ in the world, offering a look into the future of travel.
Prestigious architecture competition Prix Versailles has revealed its “World’s Most Beautiful Airports List 2026”, and some of the seven airports featured may be a surprise.
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport was on the list of the most beautiful. Li Kaijian
Jérôme Gouadain from the organisation said the winners were “innovative, inescapable hallmarks of their regions and their eras”.
One of the most staggering is in India.
Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport is in Guwahati in the nation’s north-east.
Indigenous art, tribal narratives, and local craftsmanship – including the use of bamboo – make it an airport like no other.
Lotus flowers meanwhile were also the inspiration of another winning airport in India, Navi Mumbai.
The revamped terminal one, designed by famous company Zaha Hadid Architects even has a digital art programme on display.
Techo International Airport also blends tradition with technology in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport Terminal 2 used bamboo. Guwahati International Airport Limited
The interior ceilings are inspired by traditional basket weaving and seem to be fashioned out of bamboo and rattan.
The roof is inspired Cambodia’s palaces and temples.
Pittsburgh International Airport in the USA also takes inspiration from nature.
The 38 steel columns shaped like trees aim to create a familiar, warm canopy reminiscent of the region’s forests, creators say.
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport Terminal 3 was inspired by clouds, water and flowers. Li Kaijian
Techo International Airport Phnom Penh, Cambodia was also listed. Nigel Young
Futuristic designs were also a feature of many of the winners.
China’s Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport’s new terminal three was inspired by clouds, water and flowers.
In Europe, Frankfurt Airport’s huge new terminal three looks more like a modern art museum.
Frankfurt Airport's new terminal looks like an art museum. Frankfurt Airport
To give travellers a smooth, familiar experience, its piers, boarding gates and lounges emulate the streets and squares of a city, judges said.
Terminal 1 at America’s busiest single runway airport in San Diego now boasts a 244 metre long curved glass façade.
It also offers fliers outdoor terraces to relax on.
San Diego International Airport was the second US hub featured. Ema Peter
No Aussie airports were on the list.
But perhaps the judges will be taking a look at the new Western Sydney International Airport opening for passengers in October for next year’s gongs.
However, in recent awards for airlines, Virgin Australia scooped the sought-after award for the most comfy seats in the South Pacific region.
Pittsburgh International Airport takes inspiration from nature. Ema Peter
World’s most beautiful airports in 2026:
- Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, China
- Frankfurt Airport, Germany
- Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport, India
- Navi Mumbai International Airport, India
- Techo International Airport, Cambodia
- Pittsburgh International Airport, United States
- San Diego International Airport, United States
