Best and worst airports: This is where Birmingham and East Midlands rank in 2024 passenger survey

In April this year, Which? surveyed almost 5,000 passengers about their experiences at airports in the previous 12 months. 

Respondents were invited to rate the airports across 11 categories, including seating, staff, toilets and queues at check in, bag drop, passport control and security. 

Manchester Airport Terminal 3 has finished bottom of the annual survey for the third consecutive year, as neighbouring Liverpool John Lennon Airport takes first place. 

But how have East Midlands Airport (EMA) and Birmingham Airport fared?

As predicted, EMA has proved once again that smaller airports are among the most popular with a customer score of 67 per cent. It finished tenth in the rankings out of 29 receiving four stars in areas of staff, baggage reclaim, queues at security and queues at check in.

According to the survey by Which?, there’s room for improvement in the range of shops, queues at passport control and the Wifi connection. In each of these areas the airport received just two stars.

So what about Birmingham? Well it finished 19th in the rankings out of 29. It gained just one star out of five for queues at security, with only two stars in queues at passport control, two for seating and also not so great for the prices in the shops. It achieved a 55 per cent customer score.

The only other to get just one star for queues at security was Manchester Airport, making them the two worst in the UK for this issue.

It did, however, gain three stars out of five for queues at bag drop, the check-in desk and for its toilets.

A spokesman for East Midlands Airport said while there was “pride” in the results, the Which? survey was “not a particularly helpful barometer for this”.

They said: “While we are totally proud of and committed to providing an effortless experience for our customers, the Which? survey isn’t a particularly helpful barometer for this.

“Their methodology involves a tiny and unrepresentative survey of its members six months ago, asking them to recollect airport experiences that could have been as far back as April 2023. It then makes apples-and-pears comparisons between airports of all sizes.

“We prefer to rely on verified data such as internationally-recognised Airport Service Quality rankings which earlier this year placed EMA in fifth place among 118 European airports for how people feel about their experience.

“Meanwhile our own data shows that for the last five months, 100 per cent of our customers queued for 15 minutes or less for security.

“We also speak to our customers on a daily basis, surveying hundreds of people a month to get in-the-moment feedback from a full range of perspectives. 

“As well as flagging those things we need to improve, that tells us that growing numbers of people choose East Midlands Airport, even if it means travelling further, because they will enjoy a relaxed and hassle-free start to their holidays here.”

Bosses at Birmingham Airport questioned the results saying “most customers are very happy with the service”. A Birmingham Airport spokesperson said: “We are investing significantly in passenger experience and as a result, our Net Promoter Score is rated as ‘Good.’

They said: “We survey thousands of passengers each month, providing a far more accurate picture than one taken from a sample size that can represent less than one per cent of passengers in some cases. So far this year, nearly 70 per cent of our passengers surveyed said they were satisfied with the overall airport experience, with an above target of 76 per cent in August.

“This was achieved during our busiest month ever and is testament to the hard work of our colleagues in providing a great service. Improvements to security over the past few months has seen the average wait drop to around 10 minutes.

“Like many other UK airports, Birmingham doesn’t recognise these results given direct feedback captured on a weekly basis from passengers, that have travelled through recently.”

A customer score was calculated based on a combination of overall satisfaction and likeliness to recommend. 

On the whole, the consumer champion found smaller airports once again performed better than their larger rivals this year - with respondents reporting shorter queues, and a generally less stressful experience. 

In last place for the third-year running is Manchester Airport Terminal 3, with a dismal customer score of just 37 per cent. The terminal received just one star for seating, staff, queues at security, range of shops and prices in shops, and managed no higher than two stars in any of the remaining categories, including for toilets.

With some of its ‘moving walkways’ out of action since 2021, and repair works still ongoing, as well as widespread complaints about queues and lack of seating, many of those surveyed who were reliant on Manchester Airport for its range of international connections reported unhappy experiences.

One disappointed traveller summed up their time at the terminal as “'queuing, queuing, queuing. Not enough staff, poorly trained, surly bordering on rude”, while another said: “Manchester T3 sums up everything that is bad about UK airports. Too many flights mean too many people crowded into a space not designed to take that many.” Another lamented: “It’s just awful - the worst advert for anyone flying to the UK. It’s the worst airport I have ever used (and by quite a long way) compared to other UK and especially overseas airports.” Manchester Airport told Which? it disagreed with the survey findings in relation to customer satisfaction and security waiting times, and noted its own data shows 97 per cent of people take less than 15 minutes to pass through security. It said its ongoing £1.3bn Manchester Airport Transformation Programme is creating world-class facilities and is award-winning.

Manchester Airport Terminal 1, which is scheduled for closure next year, fared only marginally better, with a customer score of 40 per cent. It received just one star for its staff, queues at security and prices in shops, and a clutch of two star ratings in most of the remaining categories. Its highest rating of three stars was for its toilets. Terminal 2, which is currently undergoing a multi-million pound upgrade, was the highest rated of Manchester’s Terminals, tied with Heathrow Terminal 4 with a score of 51 per cent.

Belfast International was the lowest scoring airport after Manchester Terminals 3 and 1, with a customer score of 44 per cent.

Currently in the midst of a £100 million redevelopment, it received one star for its range of shops, the price of goods in shops, and baggage reclaim. London Luton was the worst-rated London airport, with a customer score of 47 per cent, closely followed by Stansted on a customer score of 50 per cent.

In 2017, Luton received the lowest score ever received by an airport in a Which? survey - just 29 per cent - and while a £160 million upgrade in the intervening years has seen its score improve, it continues to fall behind its London rivals.

At the top end of the table, Liverpool John Lennon received an impressive customer score of 81 per cent.

Just 30 miles from Manchester Airport, travellers at Liverpool John Lennon might as well have been a world away, rating it five stars for its “friendly”, “good-natured” staff, as well for queues at bag drop and security.

It also received four stars for its toilets, wi-fi, seating, baggage reclaim and queues at the check in desk and at passport control. As one traveller put it, it’s a “smaller, friendlier, efficient airport, generally not too busy with smallish queues …it is a far more pleasurable experience than its nearest rival, Manchester.”

London City Airport took a close second place with a customer score of 80 per cent, and was the best-rated London airport overall.

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “Our survey found many of the biggest airports fall at the basics - with passengers often unhappy about the availability of toilets and seats, and reporting long queues at times.

“Flogging fast passes and filling terminals with retail spaces and airport lounges is a money spinner - but judging by our survey results, it's not what passengers need.

“Smaller airports in contrast may have few shops to speak of and the likes of City have no private lounges - but our survey shows what they can do is get passengers off on their holiday quickly and smoothly. Next time you’re booking a flight, it’s well worth considering not just your choice of airline but also your airport - it could make all the difference to the start of your getaway.”

A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said: “As in previous years, Which? is letting consumers down with over-simplified judgements based on the outdated and unrepresentative testimony of a narrow group of travellers, as well as publishing misleading statements and factual inaccuracies. 

“Manchester Airport is proud to give people in all parts of the North easy and affordable access to nearly 200 different destinations across the world. We know our nearly 30m passengers value the fact we make it possible for them to fly directly to places they otherwise wouldn't be able to, whether that is for business or leisure, to study or visit friends and family.

"We also know they value an experience that caters for all needs, tastes and budgets, and through our £1.3bn Manchester Airport Transformation Programme we are creating world-class facilities that give them just that. Due for completion next year, it is already winning awards and receiving high levels of customer satisfaction.

"We understand not every experience is perfect and want all passengers to feel able to raise their concerns directly with us. That is why we speak to them on a daily basis, surveying hundreds of people a month to get in-the-moment feedback from a full range of perspectives.

"That is in stark contrast to Which?, which conducted a tiny and unrepresentative survey of its members six months ago, asking them to recollect airport experiences that could have been as far back in time as April 2023. 

"Recognising how limited and out of date the Which? survey is, we have engaged with the publication and its writers to provide accurate, up to date performance data and satisfaction scores, as well as showcasing in person how our once-in-a-generation investment is transforming passenger experiences and helping connect them to even more parts of the world.”

For full survey results visit: Which?’s airport survey results.