Skytrax Reveals 10 Best Airports in Africa 2024

A UK-based airline and airport review and ranking site, Skytrax, has ranked the Cape Town International Airport in South Africa as the Best African Airport in 2024, BBC reports Thursday.

The rankings were announced at the 25th anniversary of the World Airport Awards in Frankfurt, Germany.

Annually since 1999, Skytrax surveys over 570 airports and evaluates traveller experiences across different airports. It also highlights key performance indicators.

Respondents are polled on a variety of areas, from check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security and immigration, through to departure.

Data for the latest rankings were collected between August 2023 to March 2024 from more than 100 nationals, Skytrax said.

South Africa shone in the ratings on the continent, taking home three awards.

Asides ranking first on the list, Cape Town airport also took home ‘Best airport staff service in Africa’ while Durban King Shaka Airport, which came second, had an additional award for ‘Best regional airport in Africa’.

Johannesburg’s Tambo International Airport came third, while the Mohammed V International Airport serving Casablanca, Morocco, polled fourth.

At fifth place was Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport in Mauritius, with Morocco making another entry via Menara Airport in Marrakesh for sixth place.

Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport, the hub of Ethiopian Airline, was ranked seventh, while the Kigali International Airport in Rwanda scooped the eight spot.

Cairo International Airport in Egypt took the ninth position while Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport had the tenth place.

Neither the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, nor the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, made the rankings.

Ibrahim Idris, a former inspector-general of police, had once compared the Abuja airport to “a world class airport like you see in Dubai”.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari had promised that his administration would deliver world class airport infrastructure to Lagos.

SINGAPORE LOSES POSITION TO QATAR

Doha’s Hamad International Airport in Qatar was named the ‘World’s best airport 2024’ and also won awards for the ‘World’s best airport shopping’ and the ‘Best airport in the Middle East’.

The airport is the home of Qatar Airways, the national carrier.

Singapore’s Changi Airport, ‘2023 Airport of the year’ winner and 12-times previous winner, dropped to second place in the global ranking, winning awards for the ‘Best airport in Asia’ and the ‘World’s best airport immigration service’.

Seoul Incheon Airport, which moved up to third place, was named the ‘World’s most family friendly airport’, while Tokyo’s Haneda Airport came in at fourth place and was declared the ‘World’s cleanest airport’, ‘World’s best domestic airport’, and delivering the ‘World’s best airport PRM & accessible facilities’.

Rome’s Fiumicino Airport picked up the award for ‘World’s best airport security processing’ and Istanbul’s airport was voted ‘World’s best airport dining experience’.

Full list for the Best African Airports 2024:

• Cape Town.
• Durban King Shaka.
• Johannesburg.
• Casablanca.
• Mauritius.
• Marrakech.
• Addis Ababa.
• Kigali.
• Cairo.
• Nairobi.

World Top 10 Airports 2024

1. Hamad International Airport, Doha, Qatar.
2. Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore.
3. Incheon International Airport, Seoul.
4. Tokyo Haneda International Airport, .Japan
5. Tokyo Narita Airport, Japan.
6. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, France.
7. Dubai International Airport, United Arab Emirates.
8. Munich Airport, Germany.
9. Zurich Airport, Switzerland.
10. Istanbul Airport, Turkey.

April 19, 2024