Best of the best: This is the ultimate airport

Imagine if it wasn’t a chore – imagine if going to the airport was a joy, a remarkable travel experience in itself, a pleasure from start to finish. That’s the dream for travellers, though for the most part, it unfortunately remains one.

The world’s airports are notoriously stressful, frustrating places where queues are long and prices are high, flights are delayed and baggage is lost. A trip to the airport is an experience that almost every overseas or long-distance holiday has in common, and yet it’s so often unpleasant.

But what if we could build the perfect airport? What if we could take various elements from the leaders in the field from around the world and create a fantasy facility that ticks all the boxes? The perfect design, the most beautiful surrounding scenery, the slickest check-in procedure, the tastiest food, the best lounge facilities, the easiest public transport access … yes, it remains a dream. But it’s a good one to keep alive.

And while we’re here, we can also create the worst airport in the world, with all the opposites.

The approach

The panoramic entry to Queenstown, New Zealand.Credit: istock

The best The perfect airport would have a spectacularly scenic approach; it would be the sort of place where you would always want a window seat when you were flying in, with your phone ready to snap a few pictures. For this, it’s hard to go past Queenstown in New Zealand (queenstownairport.co.nz), which has a tight approach that requires pilots to soar through alpine scenery, dipping below snow-capped peaks and cruising over sparkling Lake Wakatipu. Special mention should also go to Innsbruck (innsbruck-airport.com), in Austria, another airport nestled within high, snowy mountains. Sydney (sydneyairport.com.au), if approached from the north, includes million-dollar views of the city’s harbourside icons. And you won’t soon forget a flight into Paro (paroairport.com), in Bhutan, which requires pilots to have specialist training thanks to the very tight, mountain-lined approach.

The worst There’s little point choosing a window seat if you’re flying into the likes of Krakow in Poland, Eindhoven in the Netherlands, or Sarajevo in Bosnia Herzegovina – all are known for frequent fog.

The central location

The best There aren’t many words of praise you would normally reserve for Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (aeropuertosargentina.com), the smaller of Buenos Aires’ two airports. It’s a small, fairly shabby terminal with limited facilities. What Aeroparque does have, however, is prime location, right on the banks of the Rio de la Plata at the city’s edge, and only a 15-minute drive to your hotel if you’re staying in popular neighbourhoods such as Palermo and Recoleta, and even San Telmo. London City Airport (londoncityairport.com) is similarly well located, on the banks of the Thames. In Australia, Adelaide Airport (adelaideairport.com.au) is very handy for those staying in the city.

The worst London Luton Airport is a misnomer: Luton being more than 50 kilometres outside the British capital’s M25 ring road. The low-cost Paris-Vatry Airport (recently rebadged as XCR), meanwhile, is a colossal 170 kilometres from its namesake. And even Tokyo Narita is more than 60 kilometres out of town.

The design

Beijing Daxing International Airport.Credit: iStock

The best Your perfect airport will be beautiful and it will be functional. It will be one of the world’s great buildings, intelligent and inspiring and worthy of wonder. For these qualities we look to Beijing Daxing (daxing-pkx-airport.com), the Chinese capital’s jaw-dropping new facility designed in part by Zaha Hadid Architects. Daxing is inspired by traditional Chinese architecture, with a vast central courtyard, swooping ceilings and linear skylights. Gorgeous. Hamad International in Doha (dohahamadairport.com) also rates a mention, with its use of art installations and natural elements, while Tokyo Haneda (tokyo-haneda.com) incorporates Japanese culture and traditions.

The worst Paris is one of the world’s most beautiful cities, but its main airport, Charles de Gaulle, is an eyesore. Moscow’s Sheremetyevo is similarly unattractive.

The food

Edo Market Place inside Haneda Airport, Japan.Credit: Getty Images

The best Japanese airports have the best food, hands down. Their terminals quite often feature second outlets of famous restaurants from the cities they represent, meaning you can have proper culinary experiences without even leaving the airport. Tokyo Haneda is probably the best example, with second outlets of foodie favourites such as Katsusen Tonkatsu, Ariso Sushi, Setagaya ramen and Tsurutontan udon. Sapporo’s New Chitose (hokkaido-airports.com), meanwhile, has a whole ramen street, with 10 local ramen joints, while Kansai International has a similarly excellent selection. Outside Japan, Singapore Changi (changiairport.com) and Rome’s Fiumicino (adr.it) deserve a nod, with a range of local offerings.

The worst Australia’s airports have uninspiring selections, though they’re improving. LAX, in Los Angeles, is awful (with the exception of the Tom Bradley Terminal). Edinburgh, too, is pretty sad.

The drinks

World-class drinks and sushi at One Flew South.Credit: One Flew South

The best American airports don’t do food particularly well, but they can do drinks. And so if our perfect airport is going to have a bar, we turn our attention to the US for inspiration. One Flew South, a sushi and cocktail bar at Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta (atl.com), is a frequent award winner that turns out genuinely world-class drinks. At Des Moines International (flydsm.com), Portermill showcases craft beers from around the region. Elsewhere, Munich International (munich-airport.com) has its own dedicated brewery, Airbrau, while Bar Rage at Tokyo Haneda features an incredible array of rare, aged whiskies (with appropriately sky-high price tags).

The worst No one goes to the Middle East for the cocktails, so it’s no surprise to find the likes of Hamad International and Dubai International are a little lacking in places to grab a strong drink.

The public transport access

InterCity train at Zurich Airport railway station.Credit: iStock

The best It’s one thing to have a dedicated train line connecting an airport with a city, which many have. It’s another thing to feed passengers directly into a city’s wider public transport system. But what about an airport that is itself a major train station with direct connections around the country and further? Switzerland’s Zurich Airport (flughafen-zuerich.ch) is such a place, where arriving passengers can board direct trains to the likes of Basel and Munich, plus connections through Zurich central to almost anywhere in Europe. Beijing Daxing airport is similarly well-connected with local and long-distance train networks.

The worst Few major cities have airports with no rail connection whatsoever, which helps Melbourne, um, stand out? LAX is the same, as is Orlando.

The check-in procedure

Self check-in kiosks at Singapore’s Changi Airport.Credit: Adobe Stock

The best We don’t ask for much here – just small queues that move quickly, intuitive designs and well-signed layouts. One of the world leaders is Copenhagen (cph.dk), frequently counted among the airports with the shortest wait times at check-in and security. Singapore Changi is another good one, a huge and very busy airport that still somehow funnels passengers through at lightning speed.

The worst Unsurprisingly, US airports are among the worst here. New York’s JFK is notorious, San Francisco is also bad, while elsewhere, London Heathrow can be a nightmare to get through.

The shopping

Shopping at Hamad International Airport, Doha.Credit: iStock

The best It’s the Jewel. That’s all we need at our fantasy airport: Singapore Changi’s all-singing, all-dancing shopping complex, the Jewel, which has more than 300 retail and dining outlets, not to mention extensive indoor gardens, and the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, the Rain Vortex. If you then take into account Changi’s four main terminals, each filled with duty-free shops and restaurants, it’s clear to see why Singapore is our inspiration. We’ll also give a nod, however, to London Heathrow (heathrow.com), as well as Doha’s Hamad International, where you can shop up a storm.

The worst Be careful buying duty-free products in the likes of Athens and Santorini in Greece, or Bangkok, or Zurich: all are among the world’s most expensive for airport shopping.

The lounges

Cathay Pacific’s The Pier first class airport lounge in Hong Kong was designed to feel like an apartment.

The best The perfect airport will have multiple lounges (some we’ll even be allowed into), so that makes this section relatively easy. Let’s begin with Cathay Pacific’s Hong Kong Airport lounge, The Pier First Class (hongkongairport.com), a beautiful salon with warm wood tones, floor-to-ceiling windows, a classic cocktail bar and a restaurant that serves Cathay’s signature dan-dan noodles. Next we’ll take the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at London Heathrow, a sleek, modern space with a rooftop garden, a pool table and a gym. We’ll also accept the Qantas First Lounge with its a la carte Neil Perry meals, showers, conference rooms and tarmac views.

The worst We’ll take Qantas’ First Lounge, but we’ll most definitely leave its shabby, outdated business-class counterpart in Sydney International. Priority Pass lounges around the world can also get uncomfortably busy.

The entertainment facilities

The Orchard at Hamad International Airport.

The best The Orchard at Hamad International, Doha, really is something else, an indoor tropical garden that brings a sense of tranquillity to the otherwise harried travel experience, with places to stroll, sit and even lie among the trees. Singapore Changi is no slouch here, with nine separate gardens, a hedge maze, numerous kids’ play areas including a climbing wall, and even a place to hire bikes and cycle around the surrounding area. Seoul Incheon (airport.kr), meanwhile, has a driving range and multiple golf courses right next door, as well as attractions, including the K-Culture Museum, within its terminals.

The worst Good luck finding much in the way of entertainment at any of Australia’s commercially focused airports. Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi is also surprisingly lacking for such a large airport, as is Frankfurt in Germany.

The sleep

Istanbul Airport is highly rated for its napping capsules.

The best There are two ways to sleep in an airport: at a hotel, either airside or landside; or by grabbing a comfortable spot in departures and just closing your eyes. Either way, not all airports are created equal. For the best, we, of course, look to Singapore Changi which has three hotels in its airside departure halls, as well as two excellent landside hotels. Seoul Incheon, too, has transit hotels in two terminals and numerous landside hotels ranging from budget to high-end. Both those airports also have a number of public zones in which passengers can stretch out for a nap. Istanbul Airport (istairport.com) is highly rated as a place to grab some shut-eye, with dedicated nap zones.

The worst American airports such as LAX and JFK are notoriously poorly set up for those hoping to catch some zeds. Charles de Gaulle and London Heathrow are also terrible.

The plane-spotting

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and the renovated Holland Boulevard.Credit: Thijs Wolzak

The best You’re at an airport – it’s nice to be able to check out the planes. And some airports cater better to this desire than others. Amsterdam Schiphol (schiphol.nl) is known among plane obsessives as an excellent place to view aircraft, from the huge viewing terrace in the main terminal building, or the two dedicated plane-spotter spaces just outside the airport’s perimeter. Tokyo Haneda has an open-air viewing platform, while Aeroparque in Buenos Aires lets viewers get up close to the tarmac from the street nearby. In Australia, Sydney and Adelaide offer plenty of opportunities. And finally, there’s Princess Juliana airport in Saint Martin (sxmairport.com) where planes famously land almost on top of the beach.

The worst Most airports spend little time considering plane-spotting opportunities, so this list could be extensive.

The on-time performance

King Khalid International in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The best You want your plane to take off on time, of course. At this fantasy airport you can have all the bells and whistles you want, but if you’re constantly getting hit with flight delays you’re not going to enjoy yourself. So, we need to look to airports with the best on-time performance stats, and there could be a few surprises here. In 2024, the world leader according to aviation analyst Cirium, with 86.65 per cent on-time departures, was King Khalid International in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (kkia.sa). In second place, with almost 85 per cent on time, was Jorge Chavez International in Lima, Peru (lima-airport.com). And third place was taken out by Benito Juarez International in Mexico City (aicm.com.mx), with 84 per cent of flights taking off on time. We will accept any of those.

The worst Don’t fly out of Canada – Toronto and Montreal have some of the worst records for delayed flights on the planet. Frankfurt is also notorious, as are London Gatwick and Manchester.

The baggage retrieval

Best for baggage … Kansai International Airport, Osaka.Credit: Getty Images

The best There’s really only one thing you want from the baggage retrieval process: your baggage, and it helps if that baggage hits the carousel in a timely fashion. But the fact it arrives at all is key. And the clear leader here is Osaka’s Kansai International (kansai-airport.or.jp), which claims it hasn’t lost a single item of luggage in its 30 years of operation. Say no more; we’re done here.

The worst It’s worth going carry-on only if you’re heading through the US, where the likes of JFK and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are notorious for misplacing your things. Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza is also infamous, as is Bangkok Suvarnabhumi.

Or...get the train instead

Our five favourite train stations of the world (and why they’re better than airports).

Kyoto, Japan
This might just be the perfect train station, and not just because almost every train runs bang on time. Kyoto Station has so many amenities: five shopping malls, including a huge Isetan department store and a Bic Camera; 13 hotels within easy walking distance; “ramen street” featuring restaurants serving ramen styles from across Japan; and countless more dining options, including shops selling bento boxes to take on your journey. No airport comes close. See kyotostation.com

Gare du Nord, Paris
Paris’s most famous train station is a historic one, built in 1864, a gorgeous wrought-iron structure in a neoclassical style, which now serves more than 700,000 passengers a day. Here you will find 23 statues representing the destinations the train station serves, not to mention multiple amenities including – because this is France – several excellent bistros nearby, the highlight being the Brasserie Terminus Nord, above which is also a three-star hotel. See garesetconnexions.sncf

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai
Find us an airport with a UNESCO World Heritage listing – go on, we’ll wait. Meanwhile, we’ll talk about Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as Victoria Terminus, a magnificent example of Victorian Gothic revival architecture – er, according to UNESCO – and one that has been open since 1887. The modern-day experience here is chaotic, as you might expect from a major transportation hub, but memorable nonetheless. See incredibleindia.gov.in

Grand Central Terminus, NYC
Here’s another facility that most airports, including those in New York City, could only dream of replicating. Grand Central is a proper icon, a beaux-arts structure known for its public artworks including sculptures, murals, mosaics, and a four-metre-wide clock. The terminal features a plethora of upscale restaurants, cheaper eateries in a food hall, bars, supermarkets and hotels nearby. It also has a record 44 platforms. See grandcentralterminal.com

Metro stations, Moscow
This is cheating, as we’re talking about an entire network of remarkable underground stations here that form the Moscow metro system. There are some incredible works of architecture to enjoy, including the chandelier-lined Arbatskaya station, the baroque grandeur of Komsomolskaya, the arched, pressed-metal ceilings of Belorusskaya, and the cathedral-like Novoslobodskaya. All put Moscow’s dreadful Sheremetyevo airport to shame. See metro.ru