Asia-Pacific airports rated top

GENEVA - Singapore and Sydney are the world's best all-round airports, but their European rivals are catching up, according to a global survey of business and leisure travellers.

The International Air Transport Association asked 90,000 regular international travellers to rate 48 airports for comfort, convenience and the services that they offered, ranging from signposting to staff helpfulness.

Singapore's Changi, the regular leader in the past until it was pushed into second place last year by Copenhagen airport, emerged top again for overall passenger satisfaction and for 15 other service items.

But following close on its heels were Sydney's Kingsford Smith, Helsinki's Vantaa, Hong Kong and Copenhagen.

The association said this reflected these airports' continuous investment in either upgrading facilities or focusing on customer service.

Singapore emerged top under a new survey category - cleanliness of the terminal, and shared first place with Sydney for courtesy of airport staff.

Sydney was top for comfortable waiting areas.

Hong Kong, benefiting from years of development of its transport network, was chosen best airport for ground transportation from city centre to the terminal.

Minneapolis-St Paul in the Mid-West of the United States made its first appearance in the top 10, taking sixth place.

It came first for good signposting and for eating and restaurant facilities - in the past not often seen as a strong point for US airports.

Two of Britain's regional hubs are among the front-runners: Manchester (seventh) and Birmingham (ninth).

Another new entrant, on eighth place, was Vienna's Schwechat, which has also undergone extensive reshaping in recent years.

The spanking-new terminal at Vancouver on Canada's west coast slipped down the rankings from fourth last year to 10th place this time.

The survey gives no details or positions for airports rated outside the top 10.

These included major world hubs such as London's Heathrow, Germany's Frankfurt, Miami, Chicago's O'Hare - the world's busiest passenger airport - and JFK Airport in New York.

The annual survey is used by airport managers and concessionaires as a guide to what improvements to services passengers want to see - increasingly important as spreading privatisation leads to increased competition for airlines' business.

- REUTERS