Europe hosts only one of the world’s cleanest airports.

Asia has been revealed to have the world’s cleanest airports according to a new ranking that considered factors such as the cleanliness of seating and toilet facilities. The top 10 cleanest airports globally were announced by airline rating organization Skytrax, with only one hub in Europe making the list. The majority of the ranking is dominated by airports in Asia, with Zurich in Switzerland being the only exception as it came in tenth place. Skytrax’s research for the World Airport Awards highlighted the cleanest airports worldwide and the criteria that qualified them for this accolade.

Japan emerged as the standout country with four of its airports securing spots on the top 10 cleanest airports list. Tokyo’s Haneda Airport claimed the first spot for being the world’s cleanest airport, with Skytrax praising the cleanliness of the floors, seating, public areas, and toilet facilities. The importance of airport cleanliness has been magnified in a post-COVID world, making it a crucial aspect for travelers. The organization emphasized that airports maintaining high cleanliness standards are featured prominently in the best airport cleanliness results. Other Japanese airports on the list include Centrair Nagoya, Tokyo Narita, and Kansai, which were placed in fifth, sixth, and seventh place respectively.

Apart from Japan, other Asian countries also secured spots on the top 10 cleanest airports list, with Seoul Incheon in South Korea claiming the second spot and Singapore Changi in third. Doha Hamad Airport in Qatar secured the fourth spot, followed by Hong Kong and Taiwan Taoyuan in eighth and ninth place. The only non-Asian airport on the list was Zurich in Switzerland. Skytrax also recognized the cleanest airports by region, with Zurich emerging as the cleanest airport in Europe, Tokyo Haneda in Asia, and Doha Hamad in the Middle East. Vancouver in Canada was named the top North American terminal, Quito in Ecuador for South America, Juan Santamaría in Costa Rica for Central America and the Caribbean, Cape Town in Africa, Brisbane for Australia/Pacific, Shanghai Hongqiao for China, Baku in Azerbaijan for Central Asia, and Bangalore for India and South Asia.

Despite a growing focus on sustainable travel, flying remains popular, with over 8.5 billion passengers traveling by air each year. Clean airports play a significant role in enhancing the travel experience for passengers and alleviating the often stressful nature of air travel. The World Airport Awards by Skytrax, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2024, are based on customer satisfaction surveys from more than 570 airports worldwide. The recognition of the cleanest airports globally underscores the commitment of these hubs to meeting and exceeding cleanliness standards, especially in the current landscape of heightened hygiene concerns.