The world’s healthiest airports

Frankfurt International Airport has been ranked the world’s healthiest airport. Research from Netflights looked at 25 of the world’s busiest airports to see which are doing the most to improve the health and happiness of passengers. The comparison site looked at the quality of airport facilities, including spa or gym facilities, dedicated meditation or quiet spaces, yoga studios or classes, relaxation zones, outdoor or green space, prayer rooms, access to massages and even running tracks. Each airport was given an overall “wellness score” out of 23.

With an open-air roof terrace, dedicated silent chairs and a quiet room, Frankfurt International Airport came top. The airport, which is a major transport hub, also has individual yoga and prayer rooms, plus a spa offering a range of treatments.

Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, which is the world’s fourth busiest airport, came in second place, followed by Dubai International Airport. Out of the 25 airports investigated, 17 have spa facilities, offering a range of treatments from haircuts to anti-jetlag facials, while a further 13 provide massage services. Nine have facilities to practise yoga and dedicated meditation and quiet spaces for relaxation.

London’s Gatwick Airport was the only UK airport to make the list, but the results were disappointing. Scoring just a single point for its prayer room, the UK's second-busiest airport scored zero points in every other category.

“Airports have become much more than just places you go to catch a flight or return from somewhere," said Andrew Shelton, managing director of Netflights. “Along with incredible shopping and a wide choice of places to eat and drink, it’s natural that more of them should now also reflect the general impetus towards people maintaining a healthy lifestyle wherever they are, with an increasingly broad range of gyms, studios or places of worship and reflection.”

The top 10 healthiest airports

1. Frankfurt Airport (FRA), Frankfurt
2. Schiphol Airport (AMS), Amsterdam
3. Dubai International Airport (DXB), Dubai
4. Changi Airport (SIN), Singapore
5. Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), Hong Kong
6. Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Vancouver
7. John F. Kennedy International Airport. (JFK), New York
8. Haneda Airport (HND), Tokyo
9. San Francisco International Airport (SFO), San Francisco
10. Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Toronto