Singapore's airport is ranked the best in the world — take a look inside
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived at Singapore's Changi Airport on Sunday, ahead of his historic meeting with President Donald Trump in Singapore, who later landed at the country's Paya Lebar Airbase.
It will be the first time a sitting American President and a North Korean leader will meet in person. Trump made an early departure from the G-7 Summit in Canada, his first as president, in order to facilitate the summit.
According to Skytrax, a U.K.-based airline and airport consultancy that ranks and reviews airports annually, and the industry authority for setting standards, Changi is the No. 1 airport in the world for the past six consecutive years.
During the first presidential debate, Donald Trump called U.S. airports like Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Newark Liberty International Airport (in New Jersey) and John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport (both in New York) "third world" compared to airports in Dubai, Qatar and China, all of which are outranked by Changi.
Changi is remarkably clean, uncrowded and features atypical airport amenities like 24-hour spas, a 1960s-themed food court, a rooftop swimming pool with Jacuzzi, free WIFI and public art installations.
It even has movie theaters that play blockbusters like "Justice League" and "The Post." Frequent travelers through Singapore arrive to the airport hours early to take advantage of the facilities.
Other favorite attractions at the airport include a koi pond inside terminal 2 and a butterfly garden with 10,000 butterflies and the world's tallest airport slide (40 feet) inside terminal 3.
The airport is also known to have best food.
"Hidden above a terminal car park and tucked away at the end of a dingy corridor lies Singapore airport's best-kept secret: its staff canteens.... [T]hese loud hawker markets serve up some of the best — and cheapest — food not just in the airport, but in all of Singapore. Their name, however, is a ruse: the staff canteens at Changi airport are, in fact, open to the public and their authentic, no-frills fare has made them an underground hit," writes CNN.
A new $737.5-million terminal 4 opened in October.
It has an entertainment zone with retro arcade games and a Heritage Zone comprising shopfronts with multi-coloured facades of old Peranakan houses.
USA Today called the new terminal "Instagram worthy."
Terminal 4 also has automated kiosks where passengers can check in and print out luggage tags and boarding passes, and drop off their luggage at automated luggage drops. For security, passengers do not need to remove shoes or any electronics. Terminal 4 uses a new CT scanner system where removing electronics is no longer necessary.
As an extra layer of security, at the automated boarding gates a facial recognition system matches the photo taken at the immigration gate with the face of the person scanning their boarding pass, USA Today reports.
If that's not nice enough, as CNBC Make It previously reported, Singapore's airport has a private jet terminal, JetQuay. Passengers traveling through can skip lines at immigration and crowds at baggage claim and enjoy "the arts, food and ambience." According to host Susan Li, the price is "about $1,400 dollars." Passengers also get a butler.
The airport served 62.2 million visitors last year. It's only 20 minutes from downtown Singapore by car.
Kim Jong Un's arrival marked his second known overseas trip (after China) since becoming North Korea's leader in 2011.
Donald Trump will fly Air Force One.
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Correction: Changi is Singapore's primary airport, but not the only one.