London Heathrow Airport (IATA: LHR)

Yes, London is exciting, however, the airport overall isn’t. Don’t get us wrong, we really like what they’ve done with Terminal 5 and the Virgin Clubhouse in Terminal 3 is simply fantastic, however, the average traveller would probably be quite underwhelmed by the airport overall. It still feels too crowded, outdated and confusing. Plus there’s always the chance of getting in or out late because of the airport is already at 99% capacity with its 2 runways. But then it is London, well known for being eccentric and a bit chaotic. So if that’s what you like, you’ll have a great time there!

Hong Kong International (IATA: HKG)

Yes, Hong Kong should definitely be on that list; we wrote about it numerous times, for example in one of our most famous headlines reading “When little airports grow up, they become Hong Kong International“. The airport has also won numerous awards and certainly has our seal of approval!

Munich International Airport (IATA: MUC)

Munich airport has two faces: a happy one and a rather confused if not angry one. Let us explain this further: Munich is one of the Lufthansa hubs and therefore receives special treatment by the German airline. The carrier occupies one terminal exclusively (together with its Star Alliance partners). This terminal, Terminal 2, is really nice and offers plenty of options for shopping or consuming one of those famous Oktoberfest beers. On the other side, Terminal 1 is dull and boring and doesn’t seem to fit next to its upmarket cousin. However, there’s a solution if you are not flying through Terminal 2: head outside and get into that middle section between the two terminals. There you find a few restaurants and other interesting stuff to spend your time with (read our more detailed review titled “Oktoberfest atmosphere at Munich Airport” to gain further insights).

Singapore Changi Airport (IATA: SIN)

Yes, yes, and yes! This airport ticks all the boxes and definitely belongs in this list. And no, we don’t get any money for writing this. But it is an open secret that this airport has been our long lasting favourite and we’ve covered it extensively (e.g. read our detailled review of Changi’s crown jewel, Terminal 3 here).

Amsterdam Schiphol (IATA: AMS)

Amsterdam, Amsterdam, what can we say? Maybe that we love you? There’s certainly no doubt that this is an exciting airport with plenty to see and do. In our opinion it’s probably the best European airport as it’s got the perfect size, it’s big but not too big. Plus similar to Changi airport, Amsterdam keeps introducing new and exciting things.  The latest one was the banner vending machine – we wrote about it. If you want to read more about the airport, a good start is our review here.

That’s where the Forbes list ends. Overall we believe it’s a good selection but might miss out on mentioning South Korea’s Incheon International Airport (IATA: ICN), an airport that has also regularly won awards, Zurich Airport (IATA: ZRH) which we also featured a number of times (e.g. here) or good old Los Angeles International (IATA: LAX) albeit not for the airport itself, but for it’s great location only minutes away from the beach and other superb layover options (read our extensive LAX reviews here, here and here).

[Photo from Flickr - Some rights reserved by Gerrit Wenz]

Let’s move on to the regular airport news from this week now though: Newark airport in New Jersey (IATA: EWR) made it twice into the headlines this week: First, on Tuesday, the New York Post wrote that a burgeoning federal probe into allegedly lax security at Newark Airport has led to the suspension of eight workers for everything from stealing from passengers to sleeping on the job to even failing to screen luggage for potential bombs. Wow, that’s quite something, we think!

Then one day later, on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported on its online news that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said an airline employee had caused a security breach that briefly closed a terminal at Newark Liberty International Airport. Not so nice either!

Over in Europe it’s the winter that’s causing disruptions. In the United Kingdom for example, SKY News reported today that a number of airports across Britain have been closed as heavy snow blankets runways and surrounding areas. According to the news, Luton (IATA: LTN), Stansted (IATA: STN) and Birmingham (IATA: BHX) are most severly affected. The news continued by saying that passengers at Gatwick airport (IATA: LGW) were warned of possible delays, while Heathrow airport (IATA: LHR) has made a pre-emptive decision to cancel around a third of today’s flights. We advise all UK bound travellers to check their flight status frequently.

Speaking of the UK, earlier in the week BAA got a slap on the wrist when it lost its appeal against a ruling that it must sell Stansted airport (IATA: STN). According to the BBC, the Spanish-owned company BAA will be unhappy about having to sell Stansted in such an unfavourable economic climate. The company sold Gatwick and recently agreed to sell Edinburgh, but it has continued to fight the Stansted decision.

Back to the United States where on Sunday (local time) the biggest sporting event is held: the Super Bowl. This year the mother of all events is held in Indianapolis and we wouldn’t be LateDeparture if we couldn’t find a matching airport related news article: Fox News reported that the nation’s wealthiest football fans are descending in droves on Indianapolis Airport (IATA: IND) for Sunday’s Super Bowl, setting off a scramble by airport officials in this modest Midwest hub to accommodate the influx of private jets. According to the article, about 1,100 private planes are expected to ferry in corporate chieftains and other bigwigs to see the New York Giants face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. That is one of the largest fleets of luxury planes in the Super Bowl’s history, flying into one of the smallest cities to ever host the game.

The winning story of Jack the cat who got lost at JFK Airport in New York (IATA: JFK) was mentioned in three different weekly news articles. It had everything from an emotional plea to find the cat, an apologetic airline when it was found and a very sad ending when the cat had to be put down due to its condition.

You can read the full stories here:

• The plea to find the cat
• The cat is found
• The sad ending

It’s certainly been an amazing race to the finish and I would like to thank all loyal readers for their contribution and of course all the award sponsors for their amazing prizes. Speaking of prizes, the winner of the 1st prize, the two JetBlue return tickets is Abhishek Duggal from Honolulu – congratulations! All other winners have also been notified, so check your inbox to see if you are one of them!

2012 will surely be another interesting airport news year, so make sure you follow us right through it!

The most exciting news this week is probably that the voting process for the airport story of the year has come to and end today. Why is that exciting? Well, of course because we now know which story won the award! You have to stay tuned for a tiny bit longer though as sift through the votes and make sure everything is correct! One thing is for sure, it looks like it was a photo finish between two stories…

Let’s move on now to our news round-up: Surely you agree that flight delays are are the core of what LateDeparture is all about and this week two flight delay headlines stood out: The first one came from The New York Times reporting that New York airports account for half of all U.S. flight delays. According to the news in the first half of 2011, the region’s airspace — defined as the big three airports (JFK, LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark (EWR)), plus Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, which caters to corporate jets, and Philadelphia International Airport (IATA: PHL) — handled 12 percent of all domestic flights but accounted for nearly half of all delays in the nation. In the same period in 2005, they represented just a third of all delays, according to a report by the cited Government Accountability Office.

The second headline was about delays too, but it put a positive spin on it and called it on-time performance. We’re of course talking about FlightStats’ 2011 Airport On-time Performance Awards (OPS). A number of U.S. and International airports received the prestigious award – see our cover story from earlier in the week with all the details.

San Francisco’s SFO airport probably acknowledges that some flight delays are unavoidable and came up with its own solution: a Yoga room. According to PassengerTerminalToday the airport has opened a yoga room in its newly refurbished Terminal 2, providing passengers with a place for contemplation and self-reflection. The news stated that the room, which is located just past the security checkpoint, was designed by Terminal 2’s architect Gensler and features a floating wall and low lighting levels.

And finally we have a news item from Spain for you: There – as we heard through CNN- the Spanish airline Spanair went bust early Saturday, and forced many passengers to find seats on flights with other airlines at short notice. The news stated that according to a spokeswoman at Madrid’s Barajas Airport (IATA: MAD) said there were not large numbers of stranded passengers there, and that other airlines have been able to get passengers on to other flights. A spokesman for Barcelona’s El Prat airport (IATA: BCN) said about 20 Spanair planes were sitting on the tarmac at the old terminal.

With that we wish you all a great new week; delay-free of course!

[Photo from Flickr - Some rights reserved by Augusto Mia Battaglia photography]

• Winner – Departure performance among major international airports:
  Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
  Seattle, WA, USSEA achieved a 2011 on-time performance record of 86.28%. The average on-time performance was 71.02%% for this category. This is the second year in a row SEA has won the award. “The investments we’ve made improving our facilities and operations continue to pay off,” say’s Mark Reis of Sea-Tac Airport. “Credit goes to the efficiencies built into the airfield, terminal and runway operations as well as the terrific work from the entire team of port employees and our operational partners.”
• Winner – Departure performance among major North American airports:
  Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
  Salt Lake City, UT, USSLC achieved a 2011 on-time performance record of 86.55%. The average on-time performance was 76.67% for this category. Portland International Airport (PDX) was a very close second in achieving an on-time performance of 86.38%.
• Winner – Departure performance among major European airports:
  Oslo Airport (OSL)
  Gardermoen, NOOSL achieved a 2011 on-time performance record of 87.17%. The average on-time performance was 73.42% for this category. This is the second year in a row OSL has won the award.
• Winner – Departure performance among major Asian airports:
  Haneda Airport (HND)
  Tokyo, JPHND achieved a 2011 on-time performance record of 95.05%. The average on-time performance was 55.03% for this category.
• Winner – Departure performance among regional North American airports:
  Keahole Airport (KOA)
  Kona, HI, USKOA achieved a 2011 on-time performance record of 92.57%. The average on-time performance was 80.90% for this category. This is the second year in a row KOA has won the award.
• Winner – Departure performance among regional European airports:
  Bordeaux Airport (BOD)
  Bordeaux, FRBOD achieved a 2011 on-time performance record of 90.13%. The average on-time performance was 78.66% for this category.
• Winner – Departure performance among regional Asian airports:
  Itami Airport (ITM)
  Osaka, JPITM achieved a 2011 on-time performance record of 95.60%. The average on-time performance was 69.74% for this category.

For the full results, head to the FlightStats Award announcement page.

That said, let’s move to our weekly news review: First, one country was quite brutally battered this week with harsh winter conditions when on Thursday Msnbc.com reported that after a major Pacific storm covered Washington state in snow, the Seattle area dealt with a new menace: an ice storm that shut down the airport and toppled trees. The report continued by saying that Seattle Tacoma International Airport (IATA: SEA) closed early Thursday so that its three runways could be de-iced. Two runways had reopened by midday, but many airlines reported flight cancellations.

Across the country the situation wasn’t looking much better as a storm blanketed the northeast with a few inches of snow and caused havoc on the road and delays for travellers as a result. The Associated Press reported that by midafternoon on Saturday, 4.3 inches (11 cm) of snow had fallen in New York Central Park and 3.4 inches (8.5 cm) at LaGuardia Airport in New York (IATA: LGA) . Most of eastern Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, and central New Jersey saw about 4 inches (10 cm)  of snow, with a few places reporting up to 8 inches (20 cm). All these measures say one thing to the trained traveller’s eye: travel delays and flight cancellations. So make sure you check your flight status if you are travelling within that region!

Across the pond in England two stories stood out from the rest this week. The first one comes from Luton Airport (IATA: LTN), north of London where the BBC reported of the airports expansion plans. According to the article the airport plans to almost double the number of passengers it handles, a move which it says could create as many as 6,000 new jobs. Further the article read that this dramatic announcement is a bold attempt by local politicians in the town, who own the airport, to create jobs and boost the economy.

Then one of our favourite topics of recent times got more news real-estate this week: the BBC wrote that the government is to hold a formal consultation on UK aviation – including controversial plans for a new airport in the Thames Estuary. Apparently the study is to begin in March and will look at options for “maintaining the UK’s aviation hub status”. The article then continues by arguing the various political views of the project: Downing Street said no decisions had been made – London Mayor Boris Johnson backs the Thames airport idea. David Cameron has ruled out expanding Heathrow but his deputy Nick Clegg is said to be opposed to the estuary idea. Labour said the coalition was in a “complete mess” over aviation policy. Our bet is, this topic will be with us for a while.

And now – finally – to our bonus story: according to an article from the Detroit Free Pressa a retired bomb-sniffing dog  was captured after an airport escape. Apparently the dog named Arco had arrived on a flight from Arizona to be united with a new owner and got loose when that owner let the dog out to relieve himself. Arco once even worked at the White House as a bomb-sniffing dog at one time, bit two officers when they spotted him near Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (IATA: DTW) around 5:30 a.m. Two hours later they finally captured him.

Wow, sooo much action – we need a break. Read you later in the week with our feature post and in one week with our next weekly news. Safe travels everyone!

[Photo from Flickr - Some rights reserved by yum9me]

Extensive research from PC World on the busiest airports and other data from the New York Times flew into the graphic revealing which airports have fast upload and download speeds and which airlines give you the most tech amenities like mobile check-ins and Wi-Fi on-board. Plus there is much, much more as you will surely discover (click to expand):

Via: Online MBA News

Let’s start with some snow as it’s that time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This time the white powder hit Chicago’s O’Hare Airport (IATA: ORD) as Bloomberg reported on Friday: United Continental, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines cancelled more than 460 flights as a snowstorm moves through the area.

Over in India it wasn’t the weather that disrupted the plans of hundreds of travellers; according to the Times of India, a sudden strike by Air India pilots resulted in massive chaos at the New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IATA: DEL) on Saturday as passengers were caught completely off guard. Another Indian news source, the Indian Express wrote that the strike of nearly 60 pilots was in protest for non-payment of five months’ pay. According to the article the pilots resumed work later that evening after the management promised to release overdue allowances for two months in the coming week.

Egypt has certainly been a lot in the news in recent times, but it rarely made headlines with airport stories. This time though the Egyptian capital Cairo had a brainy moment – if you excuse the pun. According to an article from the Washington Post, officials at Cairo’s international airport (IATA: CAI) confiscated 420 pounds (190 kilograms) of frozen cow brains on Friday from three Sudanese travelers who planned to sell them to Egyptian restaurants. In the article an airport official said it was the fourth time this week that customs officers there had foiled an attempt to smuggle cow brains into the country, reflecting the growth of a moneymaking scheme made possible by some realities of international supply and demand: Cow brains are cheap in Sudan, and Egyptians like to eat them. It couldn’t be more obvious!

Over in the United Kingdom another animal airport story made headlines this week, but this time only one animal was involved and it was (and hopefully still is) alive: the BBC reported that a cheetah has been stopped at London’s Heathrow Airport (IATA: LHR) by border officials who were suspicious about the animal’s missing identity microchip. The African cheetah, called Isaac, was on his way from a South African safari park to Russia when he was seized. He is being kept in the UK until it is known why his microchip was missing, the UK Border Agency said in the news piece.

And finally this: Maybe it was the snow storms in Chicago that lead one of the city’s creative studios come up with an  ingenious and visually stunning idea of portraying airport runways. Architect and designer Jerome Daksiewicz’ screenprint project prints airport runway patterns and airport codes on 18″ x 24″ steel grey posters. Currently you can buy ATL, LHR, MSP, LAX, ORD and SFO with several others to follow. $2 of every poster sold go to the Challenge Air Program that builds self-esteem and confidence of children and youth with specials needs, through the experience of flight.

What a nice end to our weekly wrap-up, don’t you think? Have a great new week and safe travels!

[Picture from Flickr Some rights reserved by Scorpions and Centaurs]

USA Today reported this week that a fire erupted in the cargo section of New Delhi’s international airport (IATA: DEL), but luckily there were no reports of injuries or deaths. According to the news article the fire, however, destroyed cargo awaiting clearance and gutted the offices of some airlines.

A few thousand kilometers Southeast of India, in Singapore, Changi Airport (IATA: SIN) was said to revamp its two-hour free bus tour of Singapore. The Strait Times wrote that the Changi Airport Group wants to refresh itineraries for the current two options – the Colonial Tour, which showcases the Singapore River and the civic district, and the Cultural Tour, which highlights Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam. The refreshed tour is said to become available from April.

Over in the United States it was all good news when NJ.com wrote that JFK International Airport (IATA: JFK) is to take part in a quicker screening process. According to the article some passengers flying out of John F. Kennedy International Airport will soon be able to keep their shoes and belts on during screening, leave their laptops in their cases and even carry a full bottle of shampoo onto the plane. It was also said that the reprieve from those post-9/11 security measures will take effect sometime early this year when JFK becomes the region’s first airport to take part in a voluntary program to speed the screening process. We bet our New York bound travellers can’t wait for this to happen soon enough, right?

Moving on to something different: Well, you surely agree with us that birthdays in the small days of January aren’t exactly popular with the oh-so-hung-over-from-new-years-eve crowd, yet in the case of Abu Dhabi Airport (IATA: AUH), we make an exception and cheer loudly to the 30th birthday it celebrated on 4th January. Hip Hip Hurray!

To finish off the first airport news of the year, we want to leave you with not just one, but two of our famous, weird airport stories. First of all, there was this awesome little piece from 11alive.com that showed us some great examples of weird things people try to take through airport security. You’ll discover land mines, flares and improvised explosive devices to name just three.

And finally, on the same topic of smuggling stuff through security, there was this from Argentina: According to the CBS News a man tried to board a plane at Buenos Aires’ international airport (IATA: BUE) with almost 247 (nope, this isn’t a typo, two-four-seven!) poisonous snakes and endangered reptiles in his baggage. What was he thinking, we wonder?

That’s all for now – we wish you a great start into 2012 and, as always, travel safely! One more thing, make sure you visit us early next week as we’ll be launching something very exciting. You can even win some awesome prizes, so stay tuned!

[Photo from Flickr - Some rights reserved by Lars Plougmann]

For the last airport news of the year now though, we start with the most recent news which reached us from New Zealand. There CNN’s Breaking News Twittter Account alerted us yesterday of another earthquake in Christchurch only 10 months after the last, devastating 6.4 magnitude quake in February. This time CNN reported that the tremors have injured at least two people and resulted in the closure of the Christchurch airport (IATA: CHC). The airport later reopened and Chief Executive Jim Boult said through the airport’s media release that there has been no damage to the airport’s runways, which are open for landings and departures again.

Over in Europe France made it in to the news on an almost daily basis but this time not because of the Euro crisis, but because of a continued strike by French airport security staff in French airports causing delays at security checks. The strikes started the previous week on Saturday (we wrote about it) and kept continuing. On Wednesday Reuters informed us that the French government threatened to deploy police at airports to ensure that striking security staff do not paralyse flights in the travel rush ahead of the December 25 Christmas holiday and end-of-year festivities.

And finally some great news for our American friends and those who plan travelling to the States in the next few days. The Huffington Post announced on Tuesday that Skype offers free Wi-Fi for travellers at US airports. From December 21 through 27, the company will offer free Wi-Fi to fliers at more than 50 airports across the U.S. The airports participating in the holiday giveaway include New York’s JFK (IATA: JFK) and LaGuardia Airports (IATA: LGA), Boston’s Logan Airport (IATA: BOS), San Francisco International Airport (IATA: SFO) and Chicago’s O’Hare international (IATA: ORD).

With that we would like to leave you with a little festive video from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport (IATA: AMS) and thank all of you for reading LateDeparture throughout 2011. We wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New (travel disruption free) Year!

[Photo shows Prague Airport in December 2008, by Flickr - Some rights reserved by Cem K. (iyiinsan); video from Schiphol Airport, all rights reserved]