'UK's worst airport' revealed by consumer magazine Which?

9 September 2019, 09:20

Belfast International Airport has been named the UK's worst due to queues, crowded terminals and expensive parking, a Which? survey has revealed.

Northern Ireland's busiest airport ranked bottom of an annual survey by consumer group Which? with a customer score of just 42%.

Customers complained that the airport was "shabby", "understaffed" and had a poor layout.

London Luton (43%), Manchester T3 (47%) and Aberdeen (50%) were also poor performers in the Which? survey of more than 6,000 “airport experiences”.

Aberdeen International was ranked the worst Scottish Airport for the fifth year in row.

Smaller airports generally outperformed their bigger rivals and Doncaster Sheffield was rated the top by customers for the third year running with 86%.

Heathrow’s terminal 5 was also highly rated among airports with more than 10 million passengers annually and Birmingham also scored well.

Belfast International acknowledged passengers had faced problems during the past 18 months, but said satisfaction had improved since the Which? survey.

The airport has invested £1m in expanding its security area after long delays meant passengers had to queue outside the airport in freezing conditions in March.

It has also expanded its range of food and drink outlets amid complaints from Which? members that the choice was too limited.

Which? Travel’s Naomi Leach said: “If you have the luxury of choice when it comes to which airport you fly from, choose Doncaster Sheffield over Leeds Bradford, Southend over Luton, Edinburgh over Aberdeen and Belfast City over Belfast International for a smoother start to your trip.”

Doncaster Sheffield came top for the third year in a row, with customers describing it as a "cosy airport" and "easy to navigate".