Singapore Changi wins Skytrax best airport award

Internal shot at Singapore’s Changi Airport (Wikimedia)

Singapore Changi has been named the best airport in the world by Skytrax after pushing last year’s winner, Qatar’s Doha Hamad International, into second place.

The latest rankings put Tokyo’s Haneda in third, South Korea’s Incheon International Airport in fourth and Paris Charles de Gaulle in fifth.

A fall list of winners is at the bottom of this article.

Edward Plaisted of Skytrax said, “After being severely hit during the Covid-19 pandemic, it is pleasing to note that passenger numbers at Changi Airport are now at about 80 percent of pre-Covid-19 levels and expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2024.

“This recognition for Changi Airport is from the airport customers and serves to underline the airport’s popularity with international air travellers. Winning this award as the World’s Best Airport is a very clear recognition of the team effort amongst all staff at the airport who contribute to Changi Airport’s success.”

Lee Seow Hiang, CEO of Changi Airport Group, said in response, “Changi Airport is honoured to be named World’s Best Airport for the 12^th time. This recognition is great encouragement to our airport community, who stood firmly together to battle the challenges of Covid-19 over the past two years.

“We thank them for their dedication to serve Changi’s passengers and the perseverance to keep Singapore connected to the world. To our passengers, we are deeply grateful for your vote of confidence.

“Your continued support encourages us to keep pursuing service excellence as we expand our offerings to redefine the Changi Experience. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Changi Airport as we rediscover the magic of travel again.”

It comes after the selection of Doha Hamad in 2021 and 2022 was mired in controversy, with Human Rights Watch slamming Skytrax for awarding the airport “world’s best” after an incident in which airport staff pulled women off planes for invasive genital exams, supposedly to find the mother of an abandoned baby.

Speaking in 2021, senior women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch Rothna Begum said the award signalled a disregard for the “safety and dignity” of women at airports.

“It seems ridiculous that Doha airport could be granted World’s Best Airport, given that in October 2020, the authorities had removed women off planes and forced a number of them to undergo gynaecological exams, which can amount to sexual assault,” she said.

“While the Qatari authorities issued an apology for the incident and said that they will investigate, there has been no mention of the completion of any such investigation, whether anyone was held to account, or any redress provided to the women concerned.”

Skytrax, at the time, defended the award as “the customers’ choice”.