[imagesource:westerncapegovernment]

For the ninth year in a row, Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) has been crowned the Best Airport in Africa.

It also received acknowledgement for the Best Airport Staff Service in Africa for the fourth consecutive year.

These prestigious awards come courtesy of the Skytrax World Airline and Airport Star Rating programme, known globally as the gold standard in airline and airport service quality awards, per the Western Cape Government statement.

The Western Cape, already famed for its wines, cuisine, incredible leisure, adventure tourism and exquisite natural beauty, has another feather in its cap thanks to this recognition.

“I am so proud of the team at CTIA. Awards like this are a result of hard work and dedication by everyone at the airport. Congratulations! Tourism is a key enabler of jobs and opportunity and this world-class airport is the entry point for visitors to our province both domestically and abroad,” said Premier Alan Winde.

Celebrating this fantastic news, the Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger congratulated the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) and CTIA, saying:

“Huge congratulations to ACSA and everyone at CTIA for keeping the winning streak alive! Your hard work and dedication shines through, and this epic achievement beautifully showcases our province’s vibrant and dynamic spirit.”

The folks on Reddit reckon that ‘Best in Africa’ is “such a low bar it’s not even funny”, with some comments wondering if the service at restaurants at international departures was evaluated or whether the ATMs or WiFi works, with others saying the airport is generally pretty pitiful:

“Jirre, I fly a LOT to and from CPT, and it’s been consistently getting worse over the last few years. That bar must be loooooow 😭”, said someone, while another commented “I mean it’s pretty average so i guess that means don’t land anywhere else in Africa.”

“Bruh, the bar in Africa for airport quality is disgustingly low” another concurred.

​Cape Town International Airport is Africa’s third largest airport. It is also Africa’s premier tourist and VIP destination and has established a reputation as Africa’s premier international award-winning airport, consistently performing among the best in the world for service in its category.

Minister Wenger went on to say that as part of SA’s ‘Growth for Jobs’ economic action plan, “we are all about setting ambitious goals and making big dreams a reality.”

“With plans to double our visitor numbers by 2035, these accolades from CTIA are not just wins; they’re rocket fuel for our tourism and economic engines!”

“Here’s to ACSA and the airport staff at CTIA who make every journey to and from our airport a world-class experience, helping to boost tourism and therefore job creation in the Western Cape,” concluded Minister Wenger.

In fact, South Africa managed to clinch three Skytrax Airport Awards.

King Shaka International Airport was named the Best Regional Airport in Africa, while OR Tambo International Airport was ranked third Best Airport in Africa and also won Best Airport Hotel.

As for the rest of the world, Tokyo Haneda Airport was awarded the title of the World’s Cleanest Airport. Doha’s airport won best Airport Shopping and Best Middle Eastern Airport, while Singapore’s Changi Airport was recognised as the Best Airport in Asia and for the World’s Best Airport Immigration Service. Seoul Incheon Airport was named the World’s Most Family-Friendly Airport.

Here are the top 10 global airports that received the 2024 Skytrax World Airport Awards:

1. Doha Hamad Airport
2. Singapore Changi Airport
3. Seoul Incheon Airport
4. Tokyo Haneda Airport
5. Tokyo Narita Airport
6. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
7. Dubai Airport
8. Munich Airport
9. Zurich Airport
10. Istanbul Airport

[source:westerncapegov]