When you’re flying to the start of your next amazing cultural adventure, the airport experience can feel like such an exciting start to the trip. Travellers love to share their airport experience with friends, family and followers, with lots of social media posts showing passengers enjoying a relaxing pre-flight drink, an excited departure sign selfie or even a pic of the plane leaving the tarmac.

Airports make a great backdrop for showing off your travels on Instagram, helping keep our followers in the loop about our adventures. While practically all airports have the potential for some excellent snaps, some airports seem to be more popular for social medias users to post from than others. With this in mind, we wanted to find out which airports are Instagram’s favourite for snapping that perfect ‘in transit’ selfie. 

We compiled a list of over 130 of the world's largest & busiest airports and determined the number of times the airport’s location tag has been included in Instagram posts. We analysed the primary location tag for each airport, as well as a number of secondary locations (such as popular bars, shops and terminals) to deduce which airport is tagged the most on Instagram every day.  

From luxury lounges, relaxation zones, endless shopping opportunities, exhibitions and art installations, more and more airports are trying to enhance their passengers' experiences while they wait to catch their flight. From the impressive architecture and ever-changing art installations at Hong Kong International Airport to the beautiful rainbow glass corridor at Miami International Airport, our latest study evaluates which airports’ locations have been tagged the most on Instagram. 

Santiago de Compostela Airport, also known as Santiago–Rosalía de Castro Airport, is Instagrammers’ favourite airport to post worldwide. It’s the second busiest airport in northern Spain after Bilbao Airport, with millions of passengers arriving every year ahead of their adventure in Spain. The high visitor number is reflected in the volume of Instagram posts, with an impressive 187 posts uploaded from Santiago de Compostela Airport every day. The spacious terminal offers a lot a lot of natural light, providing the perfect lighting for a quick selfie and a pleasant atmosphere in which travellers can relax. 

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) follows closely in second place, with an estimated 184 Instagram posts being tagged to this airport every day. TPE is one of the busiest passenger airports in the world and is the main gateway for anyone visiting Taipei and the northern part of the island. Travellers passing through Taipei Taoyuan International Airport like to share posts of the delicious Taiwanese dishes available at the airport's eateries, as well as the photos in front of the TAIWAN letter sculpture, that's adorned with different flowers and decorations throughout the year. Anyone looking for some relaxation should stop by the Blind Massage Friend Centre, which helps to provide the visually impaired with work and enables you to get a wonderfully relaxing massage as you wait for your departure flight. 

Hong Kong International Airport features rows of shops selling high-end brands such as Alexander McQueen and Chanel, all the way to high street favourites such as Zara, perfect for anyone looking to do some pre-flight shopping. Besides endless shopping opportunities, the airport also offers its very own IMAX theatre to make the time waiting for departure even more entertaining. Impressive architecture and ever-changing art installations make Hong Kong International Airport an attractive backdrop for travellers’ photos, with an estimated 163 posts uploaded and tagged to this airport every day. 

London’s Heathrow Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, is only the second European airport, and the only airport located in the United Kingdom, within the top 10. Instagrammers share an estimated 122 daily posts from Heathrow, with mostly selfies or group pictures being uploaded to travellers’ Instagram profiles. There’s also a trend for food images -  the famous English breakfast makes a frequent appearance in people’s posts, as well as departure lounge drinks, which is not surprising as Heathrow has a long list of excellent restaurants and bar options available (including the Perfectionist Cafe, pictured).

Los Angeles International Airport is another Instagram star, with an estimated 121 posts uploaded daily from this airport. The iconic LAX sign is a popular feature that’s been shared endlessly on the social media platform. Besides the sign, people seem to love sharing a pre-flight selfie or a peek out of their plane window before departing the airport. If you are looking to be starstruck, LA airport is possibly one of the most opportune locations for celeb-spotting, as it’s known for the high concentration of famous passengers passing through. 

Singapore’s Changi Airport is supremely popular with travellers and content creators, reflected in the high number of estimated daily posts (108) from this airport. The airport regularly presents its visitors with innovative installations and offers a rooftop garden for travellers to relax. One of the most photographed features is the Kinetic Rain installation, a unique architectural sculpture that involves physical movement, motion graphics and other kinetic elements. It is definitely a great way of welcoming visitors from around the world to explore Singapore. 

Another popular Asian airport for Instagrammers is Don Mueang International Airport, which enjoys a strong Instagram presence, with an estimated 90 daily posts. Also known as Bangkok International Airport, this airport offers plenty of opportunities to keep yourself busy, from duty-free stores, restaurants and souvenir shops to VIP lounges. Don Mueang is also only 24 km from Bangkok’s bustling city centre, making it a great starting point to explore Thailand.   

With an estimated 81 posts shared by travellers here on Instagram every day, Miami International Airport is one of the United States’ biggest Instagram stars. It mainly serves as the gateway between the US and Latin America, and boasts a beautiful rainbow glass corridor which gives travellers a taste of all the art-filled decor that's sprinkled throughout the whole of the airport – a wonderful introduction to the colourful local culture in Miami. 

Suvarnabhumi Airport is the second Bangkok airport in the ranking, also located just outside the city centre, with 72 posts tagged to this location on Instagram each day. Whether you’re just passing through or have a long layover, there’s plenty to keep you occupied; from souvenir shopping, to having a relaxing Thai massage at one of the many spa facilities, to even doing some sightseeing. Transit passengers who have a layover of more than six hours can take a brief tour of the area around Suvarnabhumi Airport which is dotted with sights and attractions such as the Bangkok Flower Market and The Grand Palace.

San Francisco is the third airport in the rankings from the United States, and the final one in the global top ten. This international airport offers a public museum between the terminal’s walkways, with different exhibits throughout the year, leaving no possibility for passengers to be bored, however many times they travel through! Anyone feeling stressed or anxious needs to look out for the Wag Brigade, a team of volunteers that bring trained therapy animals into the terminal, with the aim to make the passenger experience more pleasant and ease the stress of air travel. Naturally, The Wag Brigade is a big influence on the number of daily Instagram posts being uploaded from this location each day (70). 

In addition to exploring Instagram’s most popular airports worldwide, we uncovered travellers’ favourite airports to post about within the United Kingdom. The list provides a wide variety of airports all scattered across the country, offering endless opportunities for travellers to explore different parts of the UK. 

It’s no surprise that London Heathrow Airport, the busiest airport in the UK, is at the top of the list. The UK’s capital is a bucket list destination for many travellers, which is also reflected in the high number of daily posts tagged from Heathrow on Instagram (122). While waiting for departure from Heathrow, there are plenty of things to do, for example enjoying a nice pre-flight meal. The options are endless the with British pubs, European cafes and full-service restaurants offering a range of cuisine. A few standout options are Wagamama, Gordon Ramsay Plane Food, Carluccio’s, and the Fortnum & Mason Bar. 

Following in second place is Manchester Airport. Manchester is a popular airport for UK travellers to explore other countries from, with regular flights to 174 destinations all over the world. For anyone with a bit more time on their hands, the Runway Visitor Park is one of the North West’s most popular outdoor attractions and right next to the airport. The park offers a raised viewing area, which means you can stand literally just a few metres away from the planes as they are taxiing on the runway.

Another Instagram favourite in the UK is Birmingham Airport, with travellers sharing 39 posts from this airport every day. Anyone who is looking to get that pre-holiday glow can book a spa treatment at Aerospa within Birmingham Airport. They offer a variety of treatments, from manicures and pedicures to massages. 

Liverpool John Lennon Airport (fourth) and London City Airport (fifth) complete the UK’s top five most-tagged airports on Instagram.