Last night as part of the Passenger Terminal Expo 2011 held in Copenhagen, Skytrax announced this years World Airport Awards. The most prestigious price, Airport of the Year, went to Hong Kong International (IATA: HKG) for the 8th time since 2000. LateDeparture video reviewed the award winning airport. Last year’s winner Singapore Changi (IATA: SIN) came second and South Korea’s Incheon International Airport (IATA: ICN) third.

Other category winners were Vancouver International Airport (IATA: YVR) for best North American airport, Peru’s Jorge Chávez International Airport (IATA: LIM) for best South American airport and Auckland International Airport (IATA: AKL) for best in the Australia/Pacific region. Unfortunately Europe was split up into 5 subcategories making almost every airport a winner (Munich, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Barcelona and Moscow won). Overall, awards were given in 50 different categories including everything from the headline winner to categories like most improved airport (Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, SHA), best worldwide airport hotel (Regal Airport Hotel, Hong Kong) or best airport for baggage delivery (Zurich Airport, ZRH).

The awards are based on the World Airport Survey which was established in 1999, and is held in high esteem for the clarity of process and rigorously applied rules of total independence. After the phenomenal success of the first ever live World Airport Awards ceremony held at the Passenger Terminal Expo 2010 in Brussels, Skytrax again hosted its awards live at the Passenger Terminal Expo 2011, which this year is taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark. The full list of winners can be seen at the organizer’s website.

[Photo edited from Wikipedia photo and Skytrax Award logo, some rights reserved)