Worlds Most Beautiful Airports 2 Indian Airports Earn Recognition

Top 7 world’s most beautiful airports: Two Indian airports have earned a place among the world’s most beautiful airports for 2026, according to the annual Prix Versailles World’s Most Beautiful Airports List announced in Paris on June 15. Joining them are airport projects in China, Germany, Cambodia, and the United States, reflecting how modern airports are increasingly being designed as destinations in their own right rather than simply places to catch a flight.

The Prix Versailles awards celebrate excellence in contemporary architecture around the world. This year’s selection highlights seven airports and terminals that stood out for their design, innovation, sustainability, cultural identity, and passenger experience. Three of these projects will later receive additional awards for architecture, interior design, or exterior design.

According to the judges, today’s airports are expected to do more than handle growing passenger numbers efficiently. Travellers increasingly look for spaces that reflect the culture and character of the places they are visiting. Jérôme Gouadain, Secretary General of Prix Versailles, said airports have become important symbols of their regions and the era in which they were built.

Among the Indian entries, Navi Mumbai International Airport’s Terminal 1 and Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport’s Terminal 2 in Guwahati were recognised for the first time. Both are operated by Adani Airport Holdings Limited.

In China, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport’s Terminal 3 takes inspiration from the city’s reputation as the “City of Flowers.” Designed with flowing curves, gardens, terraces, and bright atriums, the terminal incorporates elements of Lingnan culture and features what is said to be the highest open-air public observation deck at any airport in China.

Germany’s only representative on the list is Frankfurt Airport’s Terminal 3, which welcomed its first passengers in April. Architect Christoph Mäckler designed the terminal around spaces resembling streets, squares, and neighbourhood gathering points to make navigation easier. Large rotating art installations suspended from the ceiling add a striking visual feature, while the terminal’s flexible layout allows it to adapt to future needs.

Guwahati’s Terminal 2 draws inspiration from the bamboo orchid, a flower native to parts of northeast India. The terminal features a bamboo-inspired indoor “sky forest”, soaring ceilings and design elements that reflect the Brahmaputra River. Indigenous art, tribal stories and local craftsmanship are woven throughout the building, giving travellers a strong sense of the region’s cultural heritage.

Navi Mumbai International Airport’s Terminal 1 was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects around the image of a blooming lotus flower. Its sweeping roof structure resembles floating petals, while lotus-inspired patterns continue throughout the interior. The airport opened in 2025 after a massive engineering effort that included rerouting rivers, relocating power lines, reshaping hills, and reclaiming land from the sea. Digital artworks placed across the terminal further enhance the passenger experience.

Cambodia’s Techo International Airport, designed by Foster – Partners, features a vast roof inspired by traditional Cambodian architecture. Interiors draw from local basket-weaving traditions, while tree-like columns and rumduol trees, the country’s national flower, bring nature into the terminal. The airport was designed with simple navigation and short walking distances in mind.

In the United States, Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal reflects the rolling landscape of the Allegheny Mountains. Its roofline and branching steel columns create the feel of a forest, while large glass walls fill the building with natural light. Outdoor terraces and locally inspired artworks add to the passenger experience.

Also in the US, San Diego International Airport’s Terminal 1 is defined by a 244-metre-long curved glass facade that allows sunlight into the building, while reducing glare and heat. Designed by Gensler and architect-artist James Carpenter, the terminal offers open, uncluttered spaces and has helped reduce the project’s carbon footprint by 30 per cent. The redevelopment also improved roads, parking facilities, and public transport links around the airport, which remains the busiest single-runway airport in the United States.