Brisbane Airport has been named the cleanest airport in Australia and the Pacific for 2026, taking out the regional title at the Skytrax World Airport Awards.
The award places Brisbane ahead of airports across Australia and the Pacific, specifically for cleanliness. Skytrax’s results list Brisbane as the regional winner in the category, while Brisbane Airport has also confirmed the recognition on its official awards record.
Passenger survey puts Brisbane on top
The Skytrax World Airport Awards are based on passenger survey responses covering airport service and facilities. Its cleanliness assessment includes terminal areas, floors, seating, public spaces, washrooms and general hygiene standards, making the category one of the more visible measures of airport performance for passengers. Cleanliness is assessed in areas travellers use throughout their journey, from terminal waiting spaces and amenities to washrooms and other high-traffic public areas.
Brisbane’s 2026 result is also not its first success in the category. The airport was named the Cleanest Airport in the Australia and Pacific Region at the 2024 Skytrax World Airport Awards.
The latest result therefore makes Brisbane a repeat winner of the regional cleanliness title, two years after securing the same award.
Melbourne leads overall, Brisbane wins on cleanliness
The cleanliness award is separate from Skytrax’s overall airport ranking and does not mean Brisbane was judged the best airport in Australia across all categories.
Melbourne was Australia’s highest-ranked airport in the broader 2026 Skytrax standings, placing 21st globally and receiving the award for Best Airport in Australia and the Pacific. Brisbane was ranked 40th overall, compared with 35th the previous year.
Sydney was ranked 52nd globally in 2026, while Perth improved from 63rd in 2025 to 58th.
Brisbane, however, finished ahead of its Australian and Pacific rivals when the assessment was narrowed to cleanliness. The result gives the airport a clear point of difference among the country’s major gateways, despite Melbourne’s stronger overall ranking.
Repeat recognition for everyday passenger areas
For passengers, the cleanliness category covers some of the most frequently used parts of an airport, including seating areas, washrooms and public terminal spaces. Those areas form part of Skytrax’s passenger survey methodology, which measures how travellers rate the condition and hygiene of airport facilities rather than relying solely on an airport’s own assessment.
Brisbane Airport has separately highlighted sustainability and waste-reduction initiatives in its operations, although those programs are distinct from the Skytrax cleanliness award and should not be treated as the basis for the result.
Published 11-Aug-2026
