Are These the Worst Airports of 2014?
Mary Minor Davis October 20, 2014
Pakistan’s Islamabad Benazir Bhutto International Airport overtook Manila’s airport as the worst in the world, as ranked by flyers who voted based on overall airport experience.
The Guide to Sleeping in Airports released its annual Worst Airports list for 2014, naming a new leader for the first time in three years. Islamabad Benazir Bhutto International Airport (ISB) in Pakistan was named the worst airport in the world, toppling Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), which held the top slot for the last three years. The rankings were based on overall airport experience, as reported by flyers between the September 2013 and August 2014 voting period.
According to the rankings, travelers likened ISB to a “central prison,” noting uncontrolled crowds, “pervasive corruption, the aggressive-yet-inconsistent security checks, and the overall lack of cleanliness and technology.” A new airport is scheduled to open in the city in mid-2016.
MNL was credited with having made “slight improvements,” falling to fourth place in this year’s rankings. The change in standings is credited to MNL’s decision to shift some international operations to Terminal 3 and renovate Terminal 1. Newly refurbished day rooms and operations changes have helped reduce congestion, but passengers still reported complaints of “overcrowding, lengthy queues, limited seating, unfriendly immigration/customs officers and smelly toilets.”
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) took tenth place and is a regular on the Guide’s list. LGA’s “security lines, drab décor, poor restaurant selection, lackluster cleanliness, counterintuitive layout and the notoriously unhelpful staff” were the top criticisms from travelers who voted on the 2014 rankings. An article from The Guardian noted U.S. Vice President Joe Biden likened LGA to a “third-world country” in February.
Below is the complete ranking of the Guide’s Worst Airports of 2014:
- Islamabad Benazir Bhutto International Airport (ISB)
- King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED)
- Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM)
- Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL)
- Tashkent International Airport (TAS)
- Beauvais-Tille Airport (BVA)
- Frankfurt-Hahn Airport (HHN)
- Caravaggio International Airport (BGY)
- Berlin-Tegel International Airport (TXL)
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
[Photo: The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey]
Tegel? OK, it''s hardly exciting, it''s a bit claustrophobic, but it is 15 min from the middle of Berlin on an express bus that runs every 10 min. Not my favorite place to spend more than on hour, but you don't need to so what's the problem?