Most travellers have a love/hate relationship with airports. When things go well they’re a portal to holiday adventures, exciting business trips, or reunions with far-flung loved ones. But when things go wrong? We curse the chaos…
Happily, Cape Town seems to fare rather well when it comes to international gateways, with the recent 2024 World Airport Awards by Skytrax ranking Cape Town at #54 in the world.
Voted for by well-travelled customers, the World Airport Awards have been going since 1999 and are considered the most prestigious accolade for the airport industry, and the largest annual global airport customer satisfaction survey.
Now coming in at 54th position may not seem like much of a coup, but consider this: the World Airport Awards surveys customer service and facilities across over 570 airports worldwide. 570!
What’s more, Cape Town pipped Sydney into #55, and came well ahead of global gateways such as Los Angeles (#60), Denver (#69) and Kuala Lumpur (#71).
Cape Town claiming 54th spot also made it the highest-ranked airport in Africa! Durban’s King Shaka International Airport was the next closest African airport (at #72), with Johannesburg at #83. No other African airports made it into the top 100. Ouch.
Cape Town was also named Best Airport in Africa and Best Airport Staff Service in Africa, while Durban’s King Shaka Airport took home the award for Best Regional Airport in Africa.
And who topped the tables? Unsurprisingly, Doha’s Hamad International Airport was named World’s Best Airport 2024, claiming the podium from Singapore Changi Airport, which won last year. Seoul Incheon Airport came third, followed by Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda hubs.
Did you hear? Cape Winelands Airport is cleared for take-off!