Sorry Sydney, Melbourne Airport named best in the region (again)

Big upgrade, big award and a milestone year for the southern airport.

Melbourne Airport forecourt.

Updated March 24, 2026, first published March 19, 2026

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Melbourne Airport has retained its crown as the best airport in Australia and the Pacific according to the Skytrax World Airport Awards.

The airport, which is about to undergo a $4.5 billion expansion, was followed by Brisbane Airport at number two.

Sydney Airport, which has announced a $6 billion expansion, came in at number three.

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Regional airports had their own category, with Adelaide coming in at number-one in the region followed by Gold Coast.

Melbourne Airport has retained the top spot six times in seven years.

Melbourne in the spotlight

It's shaping up to be a big year for Melbourne Airport. The country's largest 24-hour airport just had its busiest January on record with more than 1.26 million passengers through the international terminals.

Its upgrade will have the international terminal check-in area and baggage halls expanded to cater for the increasing flow of passengers.

Five new gates will be added to the international zone, giving airlines more options to put on flights to popular destinations.

The airport's upgrade will be completed in stages, starting with the opening of a new pick up and drop off zone in September 2026.

The expansion will also have new lounge facilities, waiting areas and retail offerings added to the terminal in the future.

A render of what the new check-in area at Melbourne Airport will look like.

A handful of new international airlines have signed on with Melbourne Airport over the past six months including Delta Air Lines and Hong Kong Airlines, and Finnair and British Airways will start services in the next year.

Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said it was an honour to receive the accolade considering the Skytrax awards are voted by the public - but called out the challenges with border technology.

"The people who work at Melbourne Airport are our secret sauce and always strive to put our customers first, but sometimes our infrastructure and border technology let us down," Ms Argus said.

"We're processing record international passenger numbers through the same amount of immigration kiosks we had a decade ago while still requiring travellers to fill out a paper arrivals card, which has to change as we edge closer to welcoming the world to Australia for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.

"We'll continue to work with government and our local agencies on this, at the same as investing for the future."

World's best airport

Singapore Changi airport once again won world's best airport, this time followed by Incheon International Airport in South Korea. Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) took the number three spot followed by Hong Kong International Airport and Narita International Airport rounding out the top five.

Hamad International Airport in Qatar, which took the number-two spot in 2025, was absent from the top-20 this year, after withdrawing from the competition.

"The safety and wellbeing of our passengers, our staff, and their families is, and remains, our absolute priority. We thank the aviation community for its understanding," they said in a statement.

Words bySarah Falson

Sarah is ACM’s travel producer. She believes regional travel is just as fun (if not better) than staying in the big cities and loves any travel experience to do with nature, animals and food!.

My all-time favourite destination is ... Cornwall. From the giant seagulls to the blustery beaches, Cornish pasties and fishing villages, it stirs something romantic and seafaring in me.

Next on my bucket list is … Mongolia. I want to go somewhere really unique that feels totally foreign and challenges my way of life.

My top travel tip is … Don’t plan too much. Walk the streets and let it happen. And make sure you check out what’s within a few blocks of your hotel - sometimes the best local food is found that way.