Australia’s Brisbane Airport is marking the 50th anniversary of connecting Queensland with the Pacific paradise of Fiji.
To mark the event, the airport created a charming side-by-side comparison of the 1973 flight versus a 2023 flight by using film discovered and digitized from a news archive.
Air Pacific, seen landing on June 1, 1987, later became Fiji Airways.
Take a look.
Airports Council International (ACI) released global traffic numbers and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) once again comes out on top as the world’s busiest airport.
The top five world’s busiest airports include Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Denver International Airport (DEN), Chicago O’Hare Airport (ORD), and Dubai International Airport (DXB), in that order. The Dubai airport also topped the list as the world’s busiest international airport.
The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival is underway in San Francisco’s Japantown and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is celebrating as well.
Through April 18, passengers traveling through SFO can snap selfies at the Cherry Blossom backdrop and enjoy performances on the stage in Terminal 3, by the food court.
The line-up is described here in detail, but includes OH-IN Taiko (drums) on Friday, April 7 from 10 am to 2 pm; a koto concert by Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto on Wednesday, April 12 from 10 am to 2 pm; and the Ito Yosakoi dance team on Friday, April 14 from noon to 3:30 pm.
Happy Friday!
We’re heading off to visit Victoria International Airport (YYJ) today to learn about their great art collection, their new pollinator garden, the BC Aviation Museum (next door), and all the shops and the restaurants.
But mostly we’re excited about getting to visit the in-airport branch of Victoria Distillers, makers of Empress 1908 Gin. The first airport distillery in North America lets travelers watch their own bottles of the violet-hued gin being filled, labeled, and sealed and, we’ve heard that they serve up samples.
With the world’s largest indoor waterfall, multi-story slides, a butterfly garden, and shops, restaurants, and events galore, it’s no wonder that Singapore’s Changi Airport is taking home Skytrax’s “World’s Best Airport” award for the 12th time. Changi Airport also landed in first place for World’s Best Airport Dining and World’s Best Airport Leisure Amenities.
Skytrax ranks airports and airlines worldwide in a wide range of overall categories and by region.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) got the award for Best Airport In North America, followed by Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Houston Hobby Airport (HOU), and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).
Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND) took the top prize for World’s Cleanest Airport this year, while Vancouver International Airport (YVR) claimed the prize for World’s Cleanest Airport in North America.
Houston Airports receives the top prize this year for Best Airport Art.
And LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B got the nod this year for Best New Airport Terminal.
There are many more winners for airports around the world. See the full list here.
Great airports not only make it easy to get from here to there, but they also make sure passengers enjoy the time they spend inside the terminals.
Which airports do it best?
That can be hard to measure. But the Air Service Quality Awards, handed out by Airports Council International (ACI) since 2006, do a good job of recognizing excellence in airport customer experience and in a variety of other categories.
To pick the winners, ACI and Amadeus, a travel technology company, interview travelers while they are in airports. The surveys include questions about wayfinding, check-in, shopping and dining offerings, as well as cleanliness, staffing, and other performance indicators.
For 2022, 144 awards are being awarded to 75 airports around the world. Categories include Best Airports by size and region, as well as Airport with the Most Dedicated Staff, Easiest Airport Journey, Most Enjoyable Airport, and Cleanest Airport.
You can see the full list of winning airports here, but we’ve picked out some highlights.
In North America, the cleanest airport awards go to Fort McMurray International Airport (YMM) in Alberta, Canada; Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) in Grand Rapids, MN; and Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) in South Carolina.
ACI says this award recognizes the top surveyed airports for their offerings (restaurants, shops, entertainment) and for their efforts to make the waiting time enjoyable and comfortable.
Fort MacMurray International Airport (YMM) and Gerald Ford International Airport (GRR) – winners in the cleanest airports category – picked up awards in this category as well, along with Willian Hobby Aiport (HOU) in Houston.
The Best Airport awards go to airports with the top 20% overall satisfaction score by size and region.
Here are the winners in North America:
Over 40 million passengers per year: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO);
25 to 40 million passengers: Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) and Minneapolis/St Paul International Airport (MSP);
15 to 25 million passengers: San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC);
5 to 15 million passengers: Indianapolis International Airport (IND), Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), and Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE);
2 to 5 million passengers:
Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) and Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP):
Under 2 million passengers: Fort McMurray International Airport (YMM).