Singapore Changi has reclaimed its spot as the world’s top airport in the prestigious annual “Passengers’ Choice Award” rankings by Skytrax. Vancouver rated a respectable 20th on the top 100 list, moving up eight spots from 2022.

Notably, both Montreal and Calgary also significantly moved up the list to 45th (from 66th), and 92 (from 125), respectively, while Toronto Pearson dropped to 64th (from 43rd). ‘

In North America, Vancouver was rated second and Montreal-Trudeau fifth, while YUL also received the award for Best Airport Staff in North America.

In other ancillary categories, Vancouver also rated as 5th best in the 10-20 million passenger airport category; cleanest airport in North America; 6th-best globally for art; and the Fairmont Vancouver Airport was named the best airport hotel on the continent.

Calgary was named the 7th most-improved airport globally.

Despite dropping in the survey, Pearson scored 6th best airport in the 30-40 million passenger category, while Toronto City Airport placed 8th for under five million.

Overall, Changi returned to its customary spot – it had rated No. 1 for eight years in a row before dropping out of the top spot during the pandemic in 2021 and ’22.

Surpassed by the Singapore airport was last year’s No. 1, Hamad International in Doha, Qatar, which dropped to second, while Japan placed four airports in the top 20, the most of any country.

The highest rated US airport was Seattle, 18th.

For its part, Changi, a self-proclaimed “destination in itself,” is a green haven that features an indoor waterfall and butterfly garden, along with 280 retail shops and dining outlets, and IMAX theatre. In ancillary categories, Changi was also named the world’s best airport for dining and leisure amenities, and the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport was named the world’s best airport hotel for the eighth straight year.

Top 20 Airports 2023

1. Singapore Changi Airport
2. Hamad International Airport (Doha, Qatar)
3. Tokyo International Airport/Haneda
4. Incheon International Airport (Seoul, Korea)
5. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
6. Istanbul Airport
7. Munich Airport
8. Zurich Airport (Switzerland)
9. Narita International Airport (Japan)
10. Madrid-Barajas Airport
11. Vienna International Airport
12. Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
13. Rome Fiumicino Airport
14. Copenhagen Airport
15. Kansai International Airport (Osaka, Japan)
16. Chubu Centrair International Airport (Japan)
17. Dubai International Airport
18. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
19. Melbourne Airport (Australia)
20. Vancouver International Airport

Outside the top 20, other notable rankings included London Heathrow (22); Frankfurt (25); Amsterdam Schiphol (29); London Gatwick (55); New York LaGuardia (57); and New York JFK (85).

UK-based airline and review ranking site Skytrax asked global travellers to rate their entire airport experience from check-it to departure to produce its celebrated list of rankings. Over 80 awards were announced on March 15 at the 2023 World Airport Awards event in Amsterdam, staged in the exhibition hall of Passenger Terminal EXPO.