Discover the World's Most Stunning Airports: From the 'City of Flowers' to America's Busiest Single Runway!

FORGET the dingy grey corridors, seas of escalators and gloomy corners these airports are officially the ‘most beautiful’ in the world.

From enormous flower-style columns, to open-air patios and starry ceilings, you’ll want to fly to these just for the terminals.

Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport is one of the ‘world’s most beautiful’ Credit: Prix Versailles Guangzou Baiyun International Airport is found in the ‘city of flowers’ Credit: Prix Versailles

Prix Versailles , a prestigious and design award, has unveiled its list of the ‘World’s Most Beautiful Airports 2026’.

On the list are seven , and while none in the UK made the list, the closest is just an hour and a half away.

only opened in April of this year and has already been given the acolade.

The €4billion (£3.45million) terminal was designed to be less like an airport and more of a ‘lively urban environment’ with plenty of natural light.

It also has the world’s first gallery for limited art editions at an international airport and has huge large-scale immersive installations which hang from its high ceiling.

Much further away, is Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in .

It’s found in which is considered the ‘City of Flowers’ thanks to its year-round florals and that grow in its sub-tropical climate.

Paying homage to its nickname, Terminal 3 is actually shaped like a flower with its roof designed to look like blooming petals.

Even the check-in desks are made to resemble blooming kapok blossoms which are native to southern China.

It even has 10,000 square metres of indoor and outdoor across the terminal which opened late last year.

Frankfurt Airport Terminal 3 also has huge art instillations Credit: Prix Versailles Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport has 10,000 square meters of gardens Credit: Prix Versailles

Two airports from the made the list – and one is home to the busiest single runway.

This is International Airport in which sees over 25million passengers each year.

It’s busy, and also very beautiful with its enormous glass windows, open-air decks with views across Downtown and .

It also has unique floating jellyfish dotted about which were made by local artists.

This airport isn’t the only one to feature artistic features, Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport Terminal 2 has an incredible indoor ‘sky ‘.

Passengers get to see the huge bamboo-inspired pillars both inside and outside which are to represent the woodlands found in the northeast of .

San Diego International Airport has enormous jellyfish outside of the terminal Credit: Prix Versailles Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport has impressive bamboo-style columns Credit: Prix Versailles

Another airport in India recognised for its beauty in the awards is Navi Mumbai International Airport in Navi .

It is designed to look like a lotus flower, India’s national flower, and there’s lots of green spaces outside.

Inside, the theme continues with huge columns that resemble flower petals.

In , Techo International Airport has been praised for its beauty.

It’s striking from the outside thanks to its towering roof canopy and 180 skylights which have been designed to keep the building cool with less need for air-conditioning or fans.

One visitor recently commented saying it’s “the most beautiful airport I’ve seen”.

Navi Mumbai International Airport is shaped like a lotus flower Credit: Navi Mumbai International Airport Techo International Airport has an canopy designed to keep the terminal cool Credit: Prix Versailles

It started its first passenger flights in September 2025 and is now the main gateway to .

The second US airport to make it onto the list is International Airport.

Last year it reopened after $1.5 billion (£1.1billion) in improvements with a new landside terminal and increased parking.

It changed aesthetically too with an undulating roof design to mimic Pittsburgh’s hilly landscape and there’s lots of natural light along with outdoor terraces.

One of the prettiest additions was to its ceiling which has 4,000 constellation lights that mimic a starry night sky.

On the award, said: “These seven projects – each one exhibiting extraordinary, distinctive architecture – illustrate how airports are now turning away from the old standards in order to offer the world a richer, more harmonious point of view.”

Pittsburgh International Airport has a beautiful starry ceiling Credit: Prix Versailles