The Worst Airport Designs

Some of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring architecture and design in the world can be found in airports, as I wrote in a previous article. It is especially tragic, then, when airports do not hold up to this legacy and instead have designs that complicate travel, inculcate feelings of claustrophobia and crowding, and feature meandering paths between gates. Although opinions regarding how poorly designed an airport is are extremely subjective, there are many that simply have inferior designs. Check out three of the worst airport designs below.

Figure 1: Terminal 2E of the Charles de Gaulle Airport [1].

Paris Charles de Gaulle - CDG

Charles de Gaulle had the third-most travel disruptions in Europe in 2025, which was compounded by air traffic controller (ATC) strikes [2]. The terminal pictured above was the site of an infamous and deadly partial ceiling collapse that occurred in 2004, which took four years to rebuild after the terminal was completely demolished [3]. Unfortunately, the reconstruction has not ended the airport’s reputation, and it is known as one of the most chaotic and stressful airports in the world [4, 5]. Although the airport’s design maximized space by removing many of the support columns, using proven techniques that Paul Andreu had already used for the English Channel Tunnel, the legacy of the design is better known for the confusing labeling of the terminals [3]. While working to improve design in one area, engineers and other designers should be aware to not compromise design in other aspects.

Figure 2: A terminal of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport [6].

Manila Nino Aquinoy - NAIA

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) first opened in 1948, making it a particularly old airport and leading to constant overcrowding as the original capacity design is almost always exceeded [7]. Although it is the main airport in the Philippines, it still remains more of a destination airport rather than a transfer hub, so it lags behind many other large airports in the world [6]. The airport is the 50th busiest in the world, but rather than thriving with the amount of travelers passing through, NAIA is known for sanitation and internet issues [8]. On New Year’s of 2023, the airport suffered a massive power outage and tens of thousands of travelers had delayed travels [9]. 

Figure 3: People wait in line during flight delays in May 2025 [10].

New Jersey Newark Liberty - EWR

EWR had the third-most departure alterations of airports in North America in 2025 [2]. It was ranked as the most stressful airport in the world for 2026, as well [5]. The airport layout forces travelers to pass through security again when transitioning to a different terminal, creating additional wait times and squeezing the layover gap [11]. It has been consistently plagued by technological issues, constant construction, and slow response times to major travel disruptions [12].

When contrasting the best airports with the worst airports, it is interesting to note what characterizes each: the best airports are often known for their beautiful architecture or shopping experiences, while the worst are notorious for their logistical issues. Thus, while we may tend to laud the aesthetics, the best designs put first things first: capability. The worst airports are often operating at over capacity, straining resources and space to the maximum and creating dirty, crowded, and unpleasant situations. Designers put extensive thought into airports, including specific psychological nudges to improve the experience and increase revenue, but those design changes are relatively meaningless when the airport cannot keep up with the traveler load.

Good design, then, prioritizes the logistics and survivability of the design. A sleek, modern design is impractical if the airport is too easily overwhelmed. One must be aware of the design space of the problem at hand and look for an approach that is well-balanced, leverages inherent strengths, and allows for continual updates and revisions.

References

Here are your sources formatted in MLA style (9th edition), maintaining your bracketed numbering and original order.

[1] "Mastering Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris." Los Angeles Times, 2024, www.latimes.com/eta/travel-experiences/story/mastering-charles-de-gaulle-airport-in-paris.

[2] "The Worst Airports in the World." SkyRefund, 2025, skyrefund.com/en-us/blog/the-worst-airports.

[3] Hardiman, Jake. "The 2004 Paris CDG Terminal 2E Collapse: A Summary." Simple Flying, 23 May 2023, simpleflying.com/paris-cdg-airport-2004-terminal-2e-collapse/.

[4] "The 10 Most Notoriously Chaotic Airports in the World." RoughMaps, www.roughmaps.com/travel/the-10-most-notoriously-chaotic-airports-in-the-world-10-tips-for-surviving-them/4. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.

[5] "The World’s Most Stressful Airports, Ranked." Condé Nast Traveler, 2026, www.cntraveler.com/story/the-worlds-most-stressful-airports-ranked.

[6] "NAIA Is the World's Worst Airport for Business Class Travelers – Study." GMA News Online, 17 May 2022, www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/travel/833171/naia-is-the-world-s-worst-airport-for-business-class-travelers-study/story/.

[7] "Manila Airport Ranked the World's Worst: Can Privatisation Deliver a Makeover?" The Straits Times, 2024, www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/manila-airport-ranked-the-worlds-worst-can-privatisation-deliver-a-makeover.

[8] "NAIA Remains Worst Airport, Study Shows." Philstar, 5 Nov. 2024, www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/11/05/2397696/naia-remains-worst-airport-study-shows.

[9] "Massive Power Outage at Manila Airport Causes Flight Chaos." CNN Travel, 2 Jan. 2023, www.cnn.com/travel/article/naia-philippines-airport-power-outage-flight-chaos-intl-hnk.

[10] "Newark Airport Delays FAQ." NPR, 6 May 2025, www.npr.org/2025/05/06/nx-s1-5388404/newark-airport-delays-faq.

[11] "Why This US Airport Was Ranked the Worst in the World for International Airports." Yahoo Lifestyle, 2025, creators.yahoo.com/lifestyle/story/why-this-us-airport-was-ranked-the-worst-in-the-world-for-international-airports---avoid-any-layover-there-133143693.html.

[12] "Newark Airport Flights and Safety Updates." The New York Times, 12 May 2025, www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/travel/newark-airport-flights-safety.html.

To cite this article:
Conover, Dylan. “The Best Airport Designs.” The BYU Design Review, 23 February 2026, https://www.designreview.byu.edu/collections/the-worst-airport-designs.