Dubai International Airport voted best in the world

Dubai International Airport has been voted as the world’s best airport by readers of Conde Nast Traveller magazine. This is the third time DIA has won the Conde Nast Traveller award for best airport worldwide.

Dubai International Airport polled the highest number of favourable votes, an overall of 89.67, ahead of runners up Hong Kong International (87.92) and Changi Singapore (85.71). The voters were responding to a query which asked which airport in the world they would choose if they were to be delayed in one. As many as 92.79 per cent of the respondents cited cleanliness at DIA as a reason for their choice, while 90.67 per cent attributed their preference to DIA’s design and layout.

Dubai Duty Free, the pride of Dubai International Airport, received an unrivalled 92.12 votes for the world’s best duty free facilities, making the DIA the world’s best airport for retail therapy.

The Ninth Readers’ Travel Awards questionnaires were inserted in copies of the May 2006 issue of the Conde Nast Traveller in the UK and were also posted online at www.cntraveller.co.uk. The criteria on which the poll queried the readers for the airport category revolved around location, accessibility, design, layout, cleanliness, efficiency to check-in, efficiency of transfers, flight information, clarity of signs, pre-flight facilities, lounges, food, restaurants, shopping, duty free facilities, and parking facilities.

Commenting on this latest award, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Department of Civil Aviation and Chairman of Emirates Group, said, “We strive to provide nothing but the best for all our passengers and customers. This award is the recognition of all the hard work and efforts put in by all our service providers and staff to provide excellent service to passengers.”

Anita Mehra Homayoun, Director, Marketing and Corporate Communications at the DCA received the award from Sarah Miller, Editor of Conde Nast Traveller at the Claridge Hotel in London recently. The awards were presented at a gala dinner held for 500 travel and hotel industry representatives.