Cape Town International named Africa's best in World Airport Awards

Cape Town International Airport continues to soar after again being crowned Africa’s Best Airport and clinching the title for Best Airport Staff Service in Africa at the 2025 World Airport Awards held in Madrid, Spain, last Wednesday.

The awards, regarded as the gold standard in global airport benchmarking, assess customer service and facilities across more than 575 airports.

They are based on Skytrax’s World Airport Survey, which collected feedback from travellers of more than 100 nationalities between August 2024 and February this year.

The survey evaluated key aspects of the passenger experience, including check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security, immigration and boarding.

Singapore's Changi Airport took top honours as the World’s Best Airport 2025, marking its 13th win in the award’s history. It also scooped accolades for World’s Best Airport Dining, World’s Best Airport Washrooms and Best Airport in Asia.

“It is a great achievement for Singapore Changi Airport to receive the highest award as the World’s Best Airport 2025, this being a record-breaking 13th time in the award’s history,” said Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted.

“The diversity and expansive choice of dining outlets is also recognised with Changi Airport winning the award for the World’s Best Airport Dining

“With washrooms a major driver of customer satisfaction during their airport experience, we congratulate Singapore Changi Airport on receiving the first World’s Best Airport Washrooms award.”

The world’s top 20 airports for 2025:

1. Singapore Changi Airport
2. Hamad International Airport (Doha)
3. Tokyo International Airport (Japan)
4. Incheon International Airport (Seoul)
5. Narita International Airport (Japan)
6. Hong Kong International Airport
7. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (France)
8. Rome Fiumicino Airport (Italy)
9. Munich Airport (Germany) 
10. Zurich Airport (Switzerland)
11. Dubai International Airport (UAE)
12. Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (Finland)
13. Vancouver International Airport (Canada)
14. Istanbul Airport (Turkey)
15. Vienna International Airport (Austria) 
16. Melbourne Airport (Australia) 
17. Chubu Centrair International Airport (Japan)
18. Copenhagen Airport (Denmark)
19. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (Netherlands)
20. Bahrain International Airport

Top airports by passenger volume in 2025 are:

• Tokyo International Airport – 70+million passengers
• Singapore Changi Airport – 60- to 70-million passengers
• Hamad International Airport – 50- to 60-million passengers
• Rome Fiumicino Airport – 40- to 50-million passengers
• Narita International Airport – 30- to 40-million passengers
• Zurich Airport – 20- to 30- million passengers
• Helsinki-Vantaa Airport – 10- to 20-million passengers
• Bahrain International Airport – 5- to 10-million passengers
• Goa Manohar International Airport (India) – Less than 5-million passengers

Tokyo Haneda Airport was also voted the World’s Cleanest Airport while Seoul's Incheon Airport earned praise for having the World’s Best Airport Staff.

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport won the title for World’s Best Airport Baggage Delivery, and Copenhagen Airport was recognised for Best Airport Security Processing.

Houston Airport System in the US was honoured for delivering the World’s Best Airport Art for the third consecutive year.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport in Germany was named the World’s Most Improved Airport while Istanbul Airport picked up the award for the World’s Most Family Friendly Airport.

TimesLIVE