By Bosphorus News Life Desk
Istanbul Airport took first place in Condé Nast Traveller's 2026 UK Readers' Choice Awards, scoring 94.29 points in results published on October 6. The publication's US edition ranked the airport second, behind Singapore Changi.
In the British survey, Changi finished second with 93.92 points, followed by Dubai International at 93.18. Copenhagen Airport placed fourth with 93.13, just ahead of Zurich Airport on 91.79.
Singapore leads the US ranking
American readers chose Singapore Changi as their top international airport for 2026, with Istanbul second and Doha's Hamad International third.
The result reversed the top two positions from 2025, when Istanbul led the US list ahead of Changi.
Although both editions publish their results under the Readers' Choice Awards name, they survey different groups of travelers. The rankings measure reader preferences, not airport punctuality, capacity or operational safety.
How readers voted
The British edition conducted its 29th annual survey from April 1 to June 30, 2026. Readers rated airports and other travel categories on a five-point scale, with results converted into percentage scores. Entries also had to meet a minimum response threshold.
Condé Nast Traveler's 39th US awards drew 798,867 votes across all travel categories, including hotels, airlines and destinations. The figure does not represent airport votes alone.
Istanbul also placed third among the world's best cities in the British edition's 2026 awards, scoring 96.67 points.
Sources: Condé Nast Traveller UK, Condé Nast Traveler US, Bosphorus News review and reporting.