Vancouver International Airport (YVR) recently received quite the praise alongside the world’s best airports, but it’s an accolade YVR is no stranger to.
CN Traveller named YVR one of the world’s most accessible airports. What partly makes YVR unique is that it was the only Canadian airport in the top 10 list. YVR was ranked sixth on a list that featured Singapore Changi, Zurich Airport in Switzerland, and Amsterdam Schiphol as the top three most accessible airports.
The ranking is based on over 50,000 verified user reviews analyzed by a U.K.-based mobility company called Halton Stairlifts.
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“The reviews, collected between February and March 2025, were assessed for real passenger experiences with mobility services, staff support, signage clarity and accessible facilities like restrooms and transport links,” CN Traveller says.
Each airport was then given a score out of 100 based on phrases like “wheelchair access,” “long wait,” and “mobility assistance.”
CN Traveller says the ranking considers “the wider context, tone, and consistency of the review.”
YVR was given an 88 out of 100.
“Each airport’s accessibility score reflects a weighted combination of passenger sentiment, service consistency and mobility support infrastructure.”
The top 10:
- Singapore Changi, Singapore (score: 96)
- Zurich Airport, Switzerland (score: 94)
- Amsterdam Schiphol, Netherlands (score: 92)
- Manchester Airport, United Kingdom (score: 91)
- Seoul Incheon, South Korea (score: 90)
- Vancouver International, Canada (score: 88)
- Edinburgh Airport, United Kingdom (score: 87)
- Munich Airport, Germany (score: 86)
- Dubai International, UAE (score: 85)
- Bristol Airport, United Kingdom (score: 84)
“This research highlights how accessibility is experienced, not just promised,” said Neil McKenzie, accessibility specialist at Halton Stairlifts.
“It’s not enough for airports to have facilities on paper – they need to deliver them reliably, day after day. This study puts the passenger experience first, and that’s where the truth lies.”
Upon hearing of the honour, YVR President and CEO Tamara Vrooman had the following to say to Daily Hive Urbanized:
“We are pleased to be named one of the world’s most accessible airports by Condé Nast Traveller. We are committed to providing an accessible airport for everyone and are proud that this commitment and the hard work by our team, as well as our many community partners, has been felt by those who have travelled through YVR.”
YVR is no stranger to being rewarded for its commitment to accessibility.
In 2018, YVR was certified gold for accessibility under the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification program, the first airport to receive the rating.
Last month, YVR received another honour: it was named the 13th best airport in the world.