Changi Airport -2014 World's best airport named again by Skytrax

Singapore's Changi Airport has been voted the World's Best Airport at the 2014 World Airport Awards held in Barcelona earlier this month.

It's the fifth time the airport has won the top prize, last claiming victory in 2010.

The awards, by votes of global travellers conducted by research firm Skytrax, this year had 12.1 million responses from across 395 airports.

Skytrax chairman Edward Plaisted says: ''Changi airport continues to be a leader and innovator within the industry and ... a key reason why it has remained ranked amongst the top-three airports for the last 14 years of the awards.''

Changi was also No.1 for Best Airport in Asia and with more than 330 retail outlets, and 120 food and beverage options, Best Airport for Leisure Amenities.

''We only have to look at the fact that Changi served more than 50 million passengers for the first time during 2012, to see that it continues to attract customers and maintain its place as one of the world's leading hub airports,'' Plaisted says.

Last year's winner, Incheon International Airport in South Korea was voted No. 2 in the global rankings, and took the top awards for Best Airport Staff Service in Asia and Best International Transfer Airport.

Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport achieved a top three finish, nudging out Hong Kong International Airport, while also retaining it Best Airport in Europe and Best Airport in Western Europe status.

Schiphol's self-service transfers – in which passengers can skip queues and print boarding passengers for a connecting flight – was a contributing factor, according to Plaisted.

In the Australia-Pacific region Auckland International Airport was voted No. 1, Brisbane Airport No. 2 and Melbourne Airport No. 3.

In the overall rankings, Brisbane came in at No.21, up from No.34 last year, while Melbourne was at No.29, up fro No.43 last year. Sydney Airport dropped 11 places, from No. 20 in 2012 to No.31 this year. Perth Airport was way down the list at No. 78 in the top 100.

Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) moved five places to ninth as well as taking first prize in the new 2013 award for World's Best Domestic Airport.

For the hygiene conscious, Haneda also won for Best Airport Terminal Cleanliness for the first time this year.