Only one Southeast Asian airport makes world’s most beautiful list

Prix Versailles described the airport, in the Kandal and Takeo provinces 20 km south of Phnom Penh, as “a symbol of renewal that reflects permanence and stability.”

Techo International Airport covers a total area of approximately 26 square kilometers, making it the third biggest airport in Southeast Asia. It opened in 2025 as Cambodia aims to draw more international tourists and transform the country’s regional tourism image.

The world’s most beautiful airports were selected for their architectural excellence, distinctive design features, panoramic surroundings and the integration of green, nature-inspired spaces that enhance the passenger experience.

Jérôme Gouadain, Secretary General of the Prix Versailles, described contemporary airports as “inescapable hallmarks”, both of the region and era they sit in.

“They are innovative, because they resolve the apparent conflict between the increasing frequency of travel and the need for speed – both central to an airport’s purpose – on the one hand and, on the other, the singularity of a form of tourism that aims to be accessible and that values people’s time in places that, in this day and age, can no longer be described as mere ‘transfer’ spaces,” he said as quoted by EuroNews.

“And they are inescapable, in that this infrastructure leaves a lasting environmental footprint on the land but also on the history of humanity: in the amalgamation of architecture that they display, airports are becoming attractive settings, emblems of economic, cultural and social dynamics that will continue to shape the societies of tomorrow, draw them together and unify them.”

The other airports and terminals featured on the 2026 list include Terminal 3 of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China, Terminal 3 of Frankfurt Airport in Germany, Terminal 2 of Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport in India, Terminal 1 of Navi Mumbai International Airport in India, Pittsburgh International Airport in the United States, and Terminal 1 of San Diego International Airport in the United States.