An unclean airport can not only ruin one's travel experience but also seep into the reputation of a given city. Many New Yorkers still remember how during the debates that preceded his 2016 election as president, Donald Trump described LaGuardia Airport as "third-world" and having a "filthy terminal [...with] broken terrazzo floors."
The airport has since undergone an $8 billion renovation and regularly wins awards as the best in the country for some of its different features (in particular, the color-changing musical fountain playing tunes like Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" in Terminal B.)
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This week, UK-based airport and airline ranking organization Skytrax put out a list of the cleanest airports in the world as part of its annual World Airport Awards. In line with stereotypes about Asian airports being sleek and modern (Singapore's Changi Airport would win the spot of best in the world year after year), Haneda Airport which is closer to Tokyo's downtown than the larger Narita took the top spot globally.
There is a reason these airports are the world's cleanest
Zurich Airport in Switzerland was the only non-Asian airport to land in the top ten in this category — some of the world's other cleanest airports include the aforementioned Changi, Seoul Incheon and Doha Hamad.
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"Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the standards of airport cleanliness have become much more important to customers," the organization said on its site. "Airports maintaining these highest standards are well featured in the best airport cleanliness results.”
Skytrax also awarded the "cleanest" title to one airport on each continent — in North America, YVR International Airport in Vancouver took that spot. That title was also taken by Cape Town in Africa, Brisbane in Australia and Oceania, Zurich in Europe and Quito in South America.
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Another airport has pushed out Changi for best airport title this year
SkyTrax also annually names one airport as the "best in the world" and, in 2024, Hamad International Airport in the Qatar capital of Doha pushed out Changi for the first time in 12 years.
"Our talented team is pioneering and committed to delivering an excellent passenger experience with industry firsts and one-of-a-kind shopping and dining offerings set amidst our superlative infrastructure, which includes the world-renowned indoor tropical garden, the 'Orchard,'" Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer Badr Al Meer said in a statement on the ranking.
Meanwhile, Vancouver's YVR Airport was singled out by Skytrax not just for its cleanliness but also in the broader "Best Airport in North America" category.
The airport saw 24.9 million visitors pass through it in 2023 and scored highly due to both being small enough to be manageable for travelers when it comes to clearing security and customs and have an array of world-class food and shopping options.
"Vancouver Airport provides an aesthetically appealing and excellent airport for passengers, and there is a strong theme of identity running through the interiors here," wrote Skytrax. "In addition, staff are warm and engaging with customers at all touch-points. Key concerns relate to long wait times for security screening and poor Business Class lounge provision."
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