A smooth airport experience can make a real difference to a holiday. Convenient transport, straightforward connections and shorter queues all mean less time dealing with logistics and more time enjoying the journey.

Those practical details help explain why Barcelona-El Prat and Düsseldorf have taken the leading positions in the Consumer Choice Center’s 2026 World Consumer Airport Index. Barcelona ranks first among large airports, while Düsseldorf tops the smaller-airport category and the overall results.

The study compares 60 airports, divided into two groups using an annual passenger threshold of 47.2 million. Its “smaller” category therefore includes substantial international hubs, rather than just regional airports.

The assessment considers airline and destination choice alongside security processing, transport links and airport infrastructure. Barcelona’s reported average security wait of three minutes helped its performance, while Düsseldorf stood out for almost immediate security processing. These figures describe the study’s findings; individual waiting times will vary.

How the leading airports compare

Europe dominates the smaller-airport top ten, with Vancouver the only entry outside the continent. The large-airport list is more geographically varied, featuring hubs across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America.

The top large airports around the world

Barcelona-El Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport, Spain

Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport, Rome, Italy

Los Angeles International Airport, USA

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand

Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France

King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

London Heathrow Airport, UK

Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, Spain

Tokyo International Airport (Haneda), Japan

Dubai International Airport, United Arab Emirates

The best small airports globally

Düsseldorf Airport, Germany

Zurich Airport, Switzerland

Copenhagen Airport, Denmark

Helsinki Airport, Finland

Milan Malpensa Airport, Italy

Oslo Gardermoen Airport, Norway

Munich Airport, Germany

Vancouver International Airport, Canada

Brussels Airport, Belgium

Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Germany