*Source: DTN News
(NSI News Source Info) SEOUL, South Korea - June 9, 2009: Incheon airport in Seoul, South Korea has been voted the best in the world. Incheon International Airport is the largest airport in South Korea, and one of the largest and busiest in Asia. Since 2006, it has been consecutively rated as the best airport in the world and received the full 5-star ranking by Skytrax, the prestigious recognition shared only by Hong Kong International Airport and Singapore Changi Airport. Located 70 km (43 mi) from Seoul, the capital and largest city of South Korea, Incheon International Airport is the main hub for Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and Polar Air Cargo.
The airport opened for business in early 2001, replacing the older Gimpo International Airport, which now serves only domestic destinations plus shuttle flights to Tokyo (Haneda), Shanghai (Hongqiao) and Osaka (Kansai). The airport serves as a hub for international civilian air transportation and cargo traffic in East Asia.
Incheon International Airport is also currently Asia's eighth busiest airport in terms of passengers, the world's fifth busiest airport in terms of cargo and freight, and the world's eleventh busiest airport in terms of international passengers in 2006.
Hong Kong international airport came second, with Singapore's Changi Airport third, in a survey by the British-based Skytrax consultancy group.
The agency interviewed 8.6 million passengers at 190 airports about their experiences, from check-in, departures, transfers, through to arrivals.
Six Asia-Pacific airports made the top 10, along with Zurich, Munich, Amsterdam and Auckland.
Skytrax said that the voting was very close between the top three airports, and at one point it thought there would be a dead-heat. Hong Kong won the award last year.
Skytrax CEO, Edward Plaisted, said that Incheon had been "in the global top five ranking for the World Airport Awards during the past five to six years, and it is a great achievement for them to secure this premier mark of customer satisfaction."
Incheon airport, about 60km (37 miles) from Seoul, opened in 2001 to replace Kimpo airport as the international gateway to South Korea.
It is one of only three airports in South Korea making a profit. In 2006, it was the 11th busiest in the world for international passenger traffic.
In the regions, Cape Town was named the best airport in Africa, Zurich in Europe, with Tel Aviv winning the award for the Middle East. Dallas/Fort Worth came top in North America, Lima in South America and Panama in Central America.
Skytrax found that Dubai had the best duty free shopping; Hong Kong the best dining; Helsinki the best baggage delivery, and Kansai in Japan the "cleanest airport washrooms".
Heathrow airport in London did not figure in the awards. However, it does merit "three stars" in the Skytrax consultancy rankings, along with airports such as Abu Dhabi, Bangkok and Johannesburg.
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