Best airport in North America named in ‘Oscars of Aviation’ — and it’s not in the US

The 20 best airports in the world have been named in the “Oscars of Aviation” — and not one U.S. hub makes the list.

The sole champion for North America in the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2026 is Vancouver International Airport (YVR), which comes 10th overall, up three places from 2025, and by default becomes the continent’s No.1 hub.

Vancouver Airport is known for its eye-catching installations, which include totem poles, carvings and large hung weavings that celebrate British Columbian Indigenous culture — and a 114,000-liter aquarium that features a rocky kelp forest and around 5,000 creatures, including wolf-eels, sea stars, and fish.

Skytrax said: “Vancouver Airport provides an aesthetically appealing and excellent airport for passengers, and there is a strong theme of identity running through the interiors here.

“In addition, staff are warm and engaging with customers at all touch-points.”

The airport does have weak spots, though, with Skytrax adding: “Key concerns relate to long wait times for security screening and poor business-class lounge provision.”

At the top of the ranking, determined by votes from more than 13 million passengers worldwide, is Singapore Changi.

Changi Airport Group CEO, Mr Yam Kum Weng, received the award, along with four other major awards: World’s Best Airport Dining, the World’s Best Airport in the 60-70 million passenger category, the World’s Best Airport Immigration Service and Best Airport in Asia.

In the runner-up spot was Incheon International Airport, South Korea, with Tokyo Haneda Airport coming third.

The rest of the top 10 comprises Hong Kong International Airport (fourth), Narita International Airport, Tokyo (fifth), Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (sixth), Rome Fiumicino Airport (seventh), Istanbul Airport, Turkey (eighth), and Munich Airport (ninth).

Other awards handed out at the ceremony, held at PTE World in London on March 18, 2026, included Best Airport Hotel in North America, which went to the Grand Hyatt at San Francisco International Airport; World’s Best Airport Shopping, which went to London Heathrow; and World’s Best Airport Art, won for the fourth successive year by Houston Airport System.

Vancouver Airport served a record 26.9 million travellers and moved more than 365,000 tonnes of cargo in 2025, the highest volumes in the airport’s almost 95-year history.

Tamara Vrooman, President and CEO of Vancouver International Airport, said: “For YVR to continue to be recognized as the Best Airport in North America while at the same time breaking records for passengers and cargo is something for our teams and our community to be proud of.

“This honour is a tribute to the tireless work of our dedicated employees, our airline and partner agency teams, and of course the support of our passengers, customers, and the community that we are here to serve.”

The world’s top 20 airports of 2026