AirHelp, a global leader in flight compensation, offering passengers real-time updates and alerts, recently released its rankings of the world’s airports. AirHelp compares airports around the world, updating its findings annually with real flight data, passenger feedback and claims expertise … and the No. 1 airport in 2026 may surprise you.
Panama City Tocumen in Panama City, Panama, was named the top airport in 2026, ranked high for its on-time performance; passenger experience (including experiences with staff, wait times and cleanliness); and facilities and comfort (such as food, shops, seating, entertainment and other facilities).
Fortaleza Pintos Martins Airport in Fortaleza, Brazil, and Cape Town Airport in Cape Town, Africa, were named second and third, respectively. Rounding out the top 10 are Recife/Guararapes–Gilberto Freyre Airport in Recife, Brazil; Brasília-Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek Airport in Brasília, Brazil; Rio de Jameira Santos Dumont Airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Durban King Shaka Airport in Durban, South Africa; Belém Val-de-Cans Airport in Belém, Brazil; Bodø Airport in Bodø, Norway; and Billund Airport in Billund, Denmark.
The first U.S. airport, named at No. 18, was Portland Airport in Oregon. Airhelp also named the top airports by country, recognizing Salt Lake City Airport and Las Vegas Harry Reid Airport as the remaining top three in the United States.
By region, the top airports are Cape Town Airport (Africa), Osaka Itami Airport (Asia), Bodø Airport (Europe), Panama City Tocumen (North America), Adelaide Airport (Oceania) and Fortaleza Pinto Martins Airport (South America).
AirHelp conducted the report by analyzing 279 airports from 76 countries, combining AirHelp’s internal flight database with direct feedback from passengers who use these terminals.
On-time performance contributed to 60 percent of the score. “On time” was considered if a flight arrived within 15 minutes of its scheduled arrival time. New this year, AirHelp included information about the level of delays or cancellations at airports. While they didn’t factor into the score itself, the added information was included to help passengers understand why the airport scored as it did.
Passenger experience and facilities and comfort each contributed to 20 percent of the score.
Learn more about the report here.
Were you surprised with these results? Which airport did you expect/not expect to see make the list? Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.
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