10 Worst Airports in the World

JANUARY 09, 2014

Airports are not often associated with having fun — they’re simply a place for you to wait in order to make a flight. But some airports have separated themselves from the pack, and not in a good way. The worst airports in the world are known for their smelly bathrooms, long lines, and rude staff.

Take a look at the 10 worst airports in the world, and if possible, try to avoid them.

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1. Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International

This airport is known for its long immigration lines, unannounced gate changes, and expensive food and drinks, according to CNN Travel. That’s all made worse by the fact that this outdated facility is understaffed, and only 59 percent of the Brazilian airport’s flights arrive on schedule, Forbes reports.

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2. Chicago Midway International

Chicago’s Midway International Airport is ranked as the nation’s worst for on-time departures. “It isn’t a bad place to hang out, with a new food court and a frequent subway connection to downtown Chicago, but any airport is the worst airport if you’re stuck there and you aren’t getting on a plane,” Frommer’s writes.

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3. John F. Kennedy International

New York City’s airport has made Travel + Leisure’s list of ugliest airports. “Today JFK is resolutely hellish; arriving passengers are often greeted with endless blank corridors and stairways,” Travel + Leisure says. What to look for at this airport? Keep an eye out for the newer JetBlue terminal, as well as Terminal 1, which may be old but isn’t as bad as some of the others.

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4. N’Djamena International

Users of this airport in the tiny Republic of Chad in Africa have said that there are multiple bugs all over, according to USA Today. Travelers have also complained about the airport’s open-bag security check held outside, which only helps to draw in more bugs around the infested airport. If you can’t avoid it, bring bug spray.

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5. Paris Beauvais Tille

The French airport opts for the basics and very little else. “It’s rated as one of the world’s worst airports by SleepingInAirports.net because of its lack of seating and services, and general half-tent, half-warehouse atmosphere,” according to Frommer’s. “It lacks a rail link to Paris and closes overnight, so hope that your flight doesn’t get too delayed, or you may be camping out on the lawn.”

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6. London Heathrow

Sadly, this London airport has also made Travel + Leisure’s ugliest airports list. In fact, the airport is described as “four shopping malls that have been smashed together.” Terminal 3 is the worst, distinguished by a system in which passengers are corralled into a central seating area and not permitted to pass through security to their gates until departure time.

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7. LaGuardia

Those hoping for easy transportation should look elsewhere. According to a USA Today article, the airportisn’t connected to any meaningful transportation, only a slow bus. Check-in areas are small, security lines are overflowing, Wi-Fi isn’t free, and it’s hard to get cellphone reception. If that’s not enough to sway you, it’s also dirty and crowded.

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8. Ninoy Aquino International

“Beleaguered by ground crew strikes, unkempt conditions, soup kitchen-style lines that feed into more lines and an overall sense of futility, NAIA brings the term ‘Stuck in the 1970s’ to a new level,” CNN Travel says. Despite overcapacity issues, Terminal 1 seems particularly crammed, and Terminal 3, which is new, is only occupied by minor carriers at the Manila-based airport.

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9. Jomo Kenyatta International

Nairobi’s airport was built to support about 2.5 million passengers but now averages about double that, according to Frommer’s. In 2005, the Kenyan government announced plans to expand the airport but hasn’t accomplished that goal yet. Travelers describe this airport as hot, ugly, dirty, and confusing, as well as filled with scam artists.

Source: Tevaprapas Makklay / Wikimedia Commons

10. Tribhuvan International

“For a small airport in a pretty country, Tribhuvan has it all: the interminable weather delays of Boston Logan, the shoddy restroom maintenance of a Glasgow sports bar, the departure board sparsity of McMurdo Airfield and the chronic chaos of a kids’ soccer match,” according to CNN Travel. Also, print out your ticket.CNN Travel reports that those who didn’t have a printed version had to argue their way in to catch a flight at the Kathmandu, Nepal, airport.