Airports in India have lengthy attracted consideration for his or her structure and design. Now, that accolade has been acknowledged worldwide. Guwahati Airport and Navi Mumbai Worldwide Airport have been named among the many world’s most lovely airports in 2026 by the Versailles Awards, a prestigious international award that celebrates structure, design and cultural id in addition to performance.
For a lot of vacationers, Guwahati is the primary cease on their journey to northeast India. The airport serves as the principle gateway to all eight northeastern states, therefore the title of the brand new terminal, Ashtalakshmi (a time period typically used to confer with the eight northeastern states).
Not solely our nation, however the world is paying attention to the brilliance of Ashtalakshmi…@GuwahatiAirport’s new terminal has been chosen within the World’s Most Lovely Airports record 2026 by Palace of Versailles. We’re honored by its distinctive design, which is rooted in tradition and craftsmanship… pic.twitter.com/D3qtEAXCF0
— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) June 16
The terminal is designed to replicate the area’s tradition and pure magnificence. From bamboo-inspired design components to references to Assam’s well-known orchids, vacationers can get a glimpse of the Northeast even earlier than they depart the airport. Huge open areas, loads of pure gentle, and eco-friendly facilities have additionally helped it achieve worldwide recognition.
This honor is important because it attracts international consideration to the tradition, heritage and biodiversity of the Northeast. Celebrating the achievement, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia wrote in X that “the world is watching the brilliance of Ashtalakshmi”, calling it a proud second for the area.
Navi Mumbai’s lotus-inspired imaginative and prescient
Guwahati joins the record. navi mumbai worldwide airportits lotus-inspired design lends a distinctly Indian really feel to one of many nation’s largest infrastructure tasks. In Indian tradition, the lotus is commonly related to purity, rebirth and resilience, making it a becoming image for the brand new airport, which is anticipated to reshape air journey within the Mumbai area.
The venture can also be important as a result of it represents a shift within the picture of the airport, not simply as a transport hub, however as a landmark that displays the area’s id and ambitions. The inclusion on this record highlights how India’s airport design is attracting international consideration.
A world firm that they proceed to guard
Different airports acknowledged with the Versailles Award this 12 months embody Germany’s Frankfurt Airport Terminal 3, China’s Guangzhou Baiyun Worldwide Airport Terminal 3, Cambodia’s Sengen Worldwide Airport, and the US’ Pittsburgh Worldwide Airport and San Diego Worldwide Airport.
Regardless of being positioned in numerous components of the world, they share a standard objective of fusing performance and structure, sustainability and a robust sense of place. Relatively than seeming interchangeable, we purpose to offer vacationers a style of the vacation spot earlier than they depart the terminal.
Which may be why the awards for Guwahati and Navi Mumbai really feel particularly significant. This displays a rising international appreciation for airports that not solely rejoice their spectacular buildings but in addition inform native tales, such because the orchid and bamboo-inspired designs of Assam or the lotus-shaped imaginative and prescient of Navi Mumbai.
