What makes a good airport? There are many factors to consider, from the quality of the Wi-Fi to the retail experience. In addition, when it comes to stopovers (or ‘layovers’) some airports are clearly more attractive than others.
The best airport for a layover includes considerations like the availability of shops, food and beverage options, hotels within a two mile proximity to the airport as well as passenger ratings of airport facilities such as lounges, Wi-Fi and food and retail services.
From a recent survey conducted by the company Betway, Singapore’s Changi Airport was named the number one layover destination, with over 200 food and beverage facilities and shops for passengers to explore. Featuring a ‘magical garden’ and the world’s largest indoor waterfall, it’s no surprise that Singapore’s Changi Airport has been crowned the best airport for stopovers.
The ranking was due to more than just the airport’s picturesque nature, as it also provides an abundance of shops (240) for retail lovers and around 200 food and beverage options for those looking for refreshments. Incheon International Airport in South Korea and Hong Kong International Airport follow shortly behind in second and third place, both boasting significantly high lounge and Wi-Fi satisfaction scores for those looking to stay comfy and connected.
Overall, the U.S. is home to three of the top 10 best airports for layovers, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Denver International Airport.
The top ten airports are:
| Rank | Airport name | Country | Number of shops | Number of food and beverage facilities | Lounge satisfaction rating | Wifi satisfaction rating |
| 1 | Singapore Changi Airport | Singapore | 243 | 200 | 85% | 88% |
| 2 | Incheon International Airport | South Korea | 33 | 261 | 88% | 92% |
| 3 | Hong Kong International Airport | Hong Kong | 102 | 50 | 83% | 87% |
| 4 | Dubai International Airport | United Arab Emirates | 56 | 59 | 83% | 82% |
| 5 | Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport | United States | 86 | 122 | 80% | 81% |
| 6 | Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport | United States | 99 | 159 | 80% | 79% |
| 7 | Munich Airport | Germany | 150 | 60 | 76% | 79% |
| 8 | Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport | India | 83 | 62 | 77% | 70% |
| 9 | Amsterdam Airport Schiphol | Netherlands | 67 | 62 | 77% | 81% |
| 10 | Denver International Airport | United States | 85 | 98 | 72% | 80% |
In contrast, Gatwick Airport (U.K.) has been ranked as the second-worst airport for stopovers. Heathrow is also placed low down the global rankings.
To reveal the best airports for foodies and retail lovers, airports were also ranked based on their number of shops, food and beverage facilities, as well as their food and retail satisfaction score.
Here the top five were found to be:
| Rank | Airport name | Country | Number of shops | Number of food and beverage facilities | Food and retail service satisfaction score |
| 1 | Singapore Changi Airport | Singapore | 243 | 200 | 90% |
| 2 | Incheon International Airport | South Korea | 33 | 261 | 90% |
| 3 | Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport | United States | 99 | 159 | 82% |
| 4 | Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport | United States | 86 | 122 | 83% |
| 5 | Munich Airport | Germany | 150 | 60 | 80 |
With a food and retail service satisfaction score of 90 percent Singapore’s Changi Airport and Incheon International Airport claimed first and second place as the best airport stopovers for foodies and retail lovers, shortly followed by Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Munich Airport.
