This year’s rankings were dominated by major transport hubs in Asia and the Middle East. Istanbul Airport in Turkey retained its position at the top with a score of 98.57, followed closely by Singapore’s Changi Airport and Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar.
Also featured in the top five were Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi and Dubai International Airport. Other notable entries included Hong Kong International Airport, Tokyo Haneda, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in Finland, and Incheon International Airport in South Korea. CSMIA was ranked ninth globally.
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The results are based on a comprehensive global survey by Travel + Leisure, which saw participation from nearly 180,000 readers, who cast more than 650,000 votes. The awards celebrate airports that offer far more than just operational efficiencyand recognise their excellence in architectural design, dining experiences, and the overall quality of passenger services.
Spread over 1,900 acres, CSMIA is the busiest single-runway airport in the world and the second busiest in India. In FY24-25, it handled 55.12 million passengers and nearly 1,000 air traffic movements daily. The airport currently offers direct connectivity to 54 international and 67 domestic destinations.
In recent years, CSMIA has undertaken significant upgrades to enhance passenger experience. These include the expansion of biometric, paperless travel systems such as DigiYatra and FTI-TTP, the launch of a state-of-the-art Airport Operations Control Centre, installation of 68 electronic gates, and rollout of self-service check-in kiosks and digital payment solutions across terminals.
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The airport is the only transport hub in India to be awarded with a Level 5 Airport Customer Experience accreditation by Airports Council International. Earlier this year, it was named Best Airport Over 40 Million Passengers in Asia-Pacific, a title it has now held for eight consecutive years.
CSMIA is operated by Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), a joint venture between Adani Airport Holdings Limited and the Airports Authority of India. The Adani Group, which oversees operations, is currently the largest private airport operator in India.
(Edited by : Jerome Anthony)

