When you’re heading off overseas, the airport itself generally isn’t the main attraction. But according to a recent survey, Sydney Airport is one of the most luxurious in the world – coming in at number five out of more than 18,000 airports from around the world.
The survey was conducted by UK-based insurance company All Clear Travel, who analysed more than 1,800 airports to come up with a shortlist of the 69 most luxurious airports in the world. The top ten were then confirmed based on the availability of passenger lounges (a minimum of ten required to make the shortlist), and scored on a range of factors. When deciding on the winning spots, the judges assessed number and range of designer shops, number of four-star and five-star hotels located nearby and other luxury experiences on offer (we have a feeling this hyper-luxurious spa in Sydney’s international terminal might have had something to do with Sydney’s score). The availability of a Champagne bar and caviar house was also considered – because nothing says luxury quite like a glass of the good stuff.
Coming in at number five on the list after Dubai, London Heathrow, Hamad International Airport and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Sydney International Airport scored a “luxury score” of 61 out of 100. The presence of luxury stores including Cartier, Rolex and Armani helped secure Sydney Airport one of the top spots, and our runway positioning over the water also got credit from the judges.
Sydney International Airport's history was also acknowledged; it's the world’s oldest continually operating commercial international airport, which has to speak for something. And even though we're scoring a new international airport (set to open in 2026), this coastal hub will always be a special place to fly into and out of.
All this talk of airports got you hankering for a trip, but not quite ready to take it overseas? These are the best weekend getaways in NSW.