How time flies (bad pun intended); six years ago I asked what you thought was the "most improved" airport in the previous decade: http://web2.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=289775

So what difference has six years wrought?

What do you think the most improved airport in this millennium is?

My list would include:

ITO -- Since the lovely renovation of the main waiting area, it's a very pleasant place to be. If only they would put in a gift shop/newstand landside.

Hands down: DTW. Not only did they build the best mile long hub terminal in the country, they're also knocking down the older terminal and rebuilding that too.

Wow... maybe you should have waited until the new new IND terminal opened to start this

When I started the other thread, the "new" renovations at IND were recent and they were wonderful. Prior to that -- in the early 90s -- IND was awful.

Agreed- for major airports hands down.

DTW used to be an awful experience- now its only awful when you are flying UA/AA or non-international non sky team flights.

Soon, it will be a good experience for all passengers.

I just hope in 5 years we can say ORD.

DTW was the first thing that popped into my head. SO much better now...

TLV is by far the most improved airport in the last 5 years. On the flipside i would say that LHR is by far the most unimproved airport.

ANC is going to be incredibly impressive after the renovations are done. The C concourse is already light-years ahead of any other airport I've been to both aesthetically and technologically. AS has done some amazing things. (The one thing is the lack of retail space. But they're working on that, and I understand it'll be taken care of by the renovations.)

definitely a local response, so, since so very many major improvements have been made to DCA, BWI, and IAD, how could anyone consider anything other than the DC area airports. Go GO Metro DC commission.

In the "totally new airport" category, ICN (2001) and BKK (2006).

Still relatively small, but I was stunned at how GSP had grown and changed when I flew there a year and a half ago. It had been home 20 years earlier. Back then, it was a half dozen outdoor gates for a couple airlines. Today, a half dozen airlines and a modern mid-sized facility with all the bells and whistles.

Totally agree - LHR just seems to get worse day by day

TLV shocked me last summer. I couldn't believe what a fantastic job they had done. A beautiful structure, and other than the usual security, a quite efficient place.

Would you believe- DEL?

I was there in 2004 and the Arrivals Hall was a cavern and Departure was a nightmare of long lines- to get INTO the airport (you have to have a ticket or e-ticket for that day), to check in, to go through Immigration, and for "security", where EVERYONE gets patted down.

Now, what the typical airport bureaucracy considers an improvement and what I consider improvement are 2 different things. I don't give a flying Fokker about more stores, consolidating rental car plazas, or more restaurants. Just get me in and out of the darn place with minimal grief.

I've flown out of DEL's international terminal twice in the last 6 months. The Arrivals Hall, which had been under construction in 2004, really did look less like a cavern and I got through much faster. (I was amused, though, that the sign welcoming comments on the aiport directed them to a Hotmail address.) When departing, they let you through "security" only within a certain time before your flight (about 2 hours), which seems to keep the lines shorter. And even though I don't put a high priority on shopping, I do look for bargains in Duty-Free liquor and their prices on Bombay and Tanqueray were better than at ORD. At ORD, a liter of each cost a total of $33; still good compared to regular store prices. At DEL, both totalled $30 but there was a "buy 2, get one free" promotion. Too bad my checked bag was already overloaded with the 2 bottles I'd bought at ORD and the 3 bottles of scotch I'd picked up at Cadenhead's in London.

Sure, it's still a bit of a pit (the bathrooms offer squatty-potties!) but if you gave me a choice of flying out of LRH or Delhi, DEL would win.