This Airport Was Just Named the World's Best for the 4th Year in a Row If all you ever see of Singapore is the airport, it'll be worth it.
By Carly Okyle
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
When most business travelers think about airports, they think of the duty-free shop, the generic food court or the perks of an airline's business lounge. It's doubtful many frequent flyers consider airports to be luxurious spaces that are fun to spend time in. One airport, however, is upping the ante.
For the fourth year in a row, the Singapore Changi Airport was named the world's best airport at the 2016 World Airport Award last week. The awards were part of the Passenger Terminal EXPO in Cologne, Germany. The airport also took home the prize for Best Airport for Leisure Amenities, the Skytrax website reports.
Related: What Your Travel Experience Will Look Like in the Not-So-Distant Future
Among the standout aspects of the airport are a butterfly garden, a rooftop pool, massages, and two movie theaters. The estimated 55 million people that passed through the airport last year could also enjoy Singapore's tallest slide and art installations as well as shopping and restaurants. This may be why the airport's Facebook page calls the location a tourist attraction and retail center.
"It is the extraordinary effort and commitment of the entire airport community that drives Changi's success," Changi Airport Group CEO Lee Seow Hiang said in a statement. "We thank our passengers and partners alike for their continued support and confidence in us."
In recent years, airports have attempted to become enticing to travelers, whether by attaching hotels to the property or by providing pet-friendly terminals.
Related: Flying Coach? 5 Tactics for Getting an Upgrade.
No North American location made the top 10. The closest is Vancouver's airport at number 14. Here's the full list of the 10 best airports in the world:
- Singapore Changi Airport
- Incheon International Airport (South Korea)
- Munich Airport (Germany)
- Tokyo International Aiport Haneda
- Hong Kong International Airport
- Chubu Centrair International Airport (Nagoya, Japan)
- Zurich Airport (Switzerland)
- London Heathrow Airport
- Kansai International Airport (Osaka, Japan)
- Hamad International Airport (Doha, Qatar)
