Cleanliness is next to godliness, they say, and if there’s any place besides religious sites of worship and medical facilities that ought to be kept spick and span, it’s probably major airports, which see hundreds of thousands of passengers entering, exiting, and transiting on a daily basis. What that means is there’s a lot of germs from all over the world passing through its public facilities, so it’s in everyone’s best interests that airports are kept spotless.
Skytrax, the international air transport rating organisation, seems to think so as well. It has released the results of its annual Skytrax World Airport Awards, among which there is a category honouring the cleanest airports in the world. Hong Kong makes the top 10 once again this year, coming in at a respectable number five position on the list.
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) seems to have taken its 2024 ranking of eighth place to heart, and managed to move up three spots on this year’s list. Meanwhile, Tokyo’s Haneda retains first place, while Singapore’s Changi, Doha’s Hamad, and Seoul’s Incheon jostle for position, with Incheon moving down to number four from last year’s second place, and Singapore Changi and Doha Hamad moving up to number two and three accordingly.
Predictably, four of 10 airports recognised in the 2025 Skytrax World Airport Awards in the major airport category are in Japan – Tokyo Haneda, Centrair Nagoya, Tokyo Narita, and Kansai. It probably comes as no surprise that the majority of airports on the list are located in Asia, but Switzerland does edge its way into the top 10 with Zurich Airport, allowing for some European representation. It’s not just Skytrax making these decisions arbitrarily, either – travellers cast their vote and share their opinions in an annual satisfaction survey. Considering the impact of Covid-19 on public health and safety, cleanliness in such a heavily trafficked space is a major concern, and some airports lead as shining examples.
We can’t help but feel delighted when Hong Kong places prominently on a list that ranks something other than our astronomically high cost of living or record-breaking property sales that most of us can’t even afford to dream of, so seeing HKIA honoured as one of the cleanest air transit hubs in the world is a point of pride. Considering the stiff competition from our Asian neighbours, and the fact that Hong Kong operates one of the busiest airports in the world – both by passenger volume and international passengers – we think HKIA has done rather well for itself.
Cleanest airports in the world 2025:
- Tokyo Haneda Airport
- Singapore Changi Airport
- Doha Hamad International Airport
- Seoul Incheon International Airport
- Hong Kong International Airport
- Centrair Nagoya Airport
- Tokyo Narita International Airport
- Kansai International Airport
- Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
- Zurich Airport
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