Incheon International Airport Corp. won the world’s best airport title from the Airports Council International for a seventh straight year in 2011.

The airport, Korea’s main gateway, said Tuesday it has been ranked top in the non-profit association’s annual airport service quality report, followed by Singapore and Beijing.

Gimpo International Airport also secured the No.1 spot in the mid-size airport category with annual passengers between 15 million and 25 million.

“The award has an invaluable significance as it reflects the utmost efforts made by all 35,000 workers at the airport and the government’s extensive support,” said Lee Chae-wook, chief executive of the IIAC.

The awards are based on passenger surveys conducted throughout the year, according to the ACI. The Montreal, Canada-based body, which serves some 1,700 airports worldwide, announced the results at a forum in Seoul.

Located 70 kilometers west of Seoul, Incheon airport opened in 2001. It has three runways and handles more than 44 million passengers and 4.5 million tons of cargo a year.

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)