According to Airports Council International (ACI), the best airport in the world is not Singapore’s much lauded Changi Airport with its rooftop sunflower garden and its free massage chairs. It’s not the magical-sounding Kansai international Airport that’s never lost a piece of luggage. In fact, the winning airport didn’t even crack the Top 50 in the World Airport Awards announced earlier this year.
The top airport is apparently in Delhi, the capital of India. ACI’s 300 member Airport Service Quality (ASQ) program rated Delhi’s Indira Gandhi airport tops in airports serving between 25 and 40 million passengers. The airport scored 4.9 out of 5 across 34 areas of service, including ease of access, check-in, security, and airport facilities, as well as food, beverage and retail offerings.
South Korean airports placed well in the rankings also, with Seoul’s Incheon Airport taking home the top honor in airports serving over 40 million, and Seoul’s Gimpo Airport walking away with the 15-to-25 million-passenger prize. Rounding out the list were José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil, Ecuador (2 to 5 million), and Haikou Meilan International Airport in China (5 to 15 million).
Could this be part of a trend towards less chaotic travel to India? India is already well on its way to becoming a hub for savvy business travelers, and all Americans can now get a 10-year multiple entry tourist visa for only 100 bucks. Hopefully the enhancements on the ground will translate into better service in the air for its national carrier Air India. When it held a job fair for pilots earlier this year, no one showed up to apply.
