Jerusalem – Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport is the 8th best airport in the world, according to Travel + Leisure magazine readers.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
The popular New York-based travel magazine asked readers to share their views on the world’s top airports, based on travelers’ experiences of access, check-in and security, food, shopping and design.
The 10 leading airports, revealed on Wednesday, will be feature in Travel + Leisure’s annual World’s Best Awards publication.
It was Singapore’s Changi Airport that once again took the title, finishing first for a fifth successive year with an unbeaten score of 90/100. Travelers highlighted the airport’s outstanding facilities that might make the airport alone worth a trip to Singapore. Travelers who have time to spare can enjoy the free movie theater, napping lounges, gardens and even a rooftop pool.
Ben-Gurion Airport, rated 79/100, fell two places from its impressive 6th place ranking in 2016 but seemingly has a long way to go in order to compete with the global leader.
Doha’s Hamad International Airport finished runner-up, and Dubai International Airport finished in 3rd place. Only two European airports, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport and Zurich, feature in the list.
2016 was Ben-Gurion Airport’s busiest year to date, with close to 18 million passengers passing through its terminals.
The airport’s modern-looking Terminal 3 opened in 2004, replacing Terminal 1 as the airport’s primary international flight hub.
Following four months of renovations, Terminal 1, which primarily serves low-cost airlines, reopened last month.
Any us airport? Shame.
I’ve been to Ben Gurion airport numerous times in the last few months. The public bathrooms are all falling apart, usually with one toilet and one urinal out of order. There is no bathroom upon arrival when exiting the jet way from the aircraft, and one has to walk a while holding it in. The carpets along arrival are all worn out and stained.
The odor in the bathrooms are controlled by fragrance, which sometimes fail. The bathroom janitors are seen sitting around on their mobile phones, and then cordon off the bathroom for over 20 minutes, with so few bathrooms, there is no place to go at times! One time I had no choice but to use the ladies room! The immigration lines upon entry are most times way too long, when too many flights arrive the same time, they can’t handle it. The same goes for the security lines upon departure, sometimes extend out the door! The prices at food concessions are through the roof, and the main departure waiting hall overcrowded!
The general area and appearance of outside arrival area is generally dirty, with all kinds of garbage and cigarette butts, and a hodge podge of cars, taxis, and shuttles (which by the way have to wait till they fill up with 10 people which can take up to an hour, and they call it a shuttle! )
Now it’s impossible to get a trolley unless you have an Israeli credit card, so if you have a few checked in bags you’re out of luck in transporting your luggage, since the machine doesn’t accept cash or foreign credit cards! The truth is those flimsy trolleys with only one wheel in the front, made from inferior materials, would always flip over with two heavy suitcases on them! There’s also only one exit where custom agents are waiting for contraband, which gets bottled up at times, and people bump into each other like bumber cars! I wonder what Travel & Leisure bases their evaluation on? For sure not on the above unfortunate facts!! Perhaps they should send another team of auditors to make a real professional review of terminal 3!!
“Now it’s impossible to get a trolley unless you have an Israeli credit card, so if you have a few checked in bags you’re out of luck in transporting your luggage, since the machine doesn’t accept cash or foreign credit cards! “
When did this happen? Is this for arrivals and departures?
So it’s like the 5 shekel deposit for a shopping cart at Yesh. How much is it for the Ben Gurion carts?
The only thing good about Ben-Gurion is the security; otherwise, I would not rate it that high.
The carts at the airport used to be free!!! Oh well. I still love the Ben Gurion airport. All the kosher snacks you could want AND Michal Negrin. Shoppers heaven.
When I was there a year ago, they had these play areas for little kids to play in – like a playground with soft objects to touch, throw, climb over, etc. My one year old loved it. There was a big one in the central area, and a small one next to the gates. It’s these little touches that make an airport wait a lot more pleasant.