Manchester Airport named worst in the UK

Manchester Airport has been named the worst airport in the whole of the UK, with passengers calling it ‘chaotic and shambolic’. 

A new survey by Which? spoke to 7,500 members about their British airport experiences over the last two years, analysing queue times, amenities and staff.

And remarkably, all three of Manchester Airport’s terminals took the bottom spots, mainly thanks to the lengthy queues and disruption experienced by passengers over the summer.

Terminal 3 ranked the worst, with just 38% customer satisfaction. Terminals 1 and 2 fared a little better with 41% and 47% respectively, though they were also rated poorly for queue times.

Also among some of the worst rated airports in the country was London’s Heathrow Airport, with Terminals 2, 3 and 4 ranking poorly amongst travellers.

The best airport in the UK was revealed, somewhat surprisingly, to be Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which was given a rating of 85% and praised for its ‘helpful staff’ and ‘faultless service’ – though this airport is due to close permanently later this month.

Read More: Manchester Airport issues update as passengers stuck in long queues again

Which? Travel Editor Guy Hobbs commented on the results: “This year we’ve witnessed unprecedented chaos at many of the UK’s largest airports. Just a few years ago, travellers may have paid little attention to their choice of airport – but now it may just make or break your trip.”

He added: “We’d recommend opting for smaller airports, which have generally offered a smoother and less stressful experience for their passengers over the last two years.”

A Manchester Airport spokesperson has since apologised to passengers who were not happy with their experience, saying the pandemic was the ‘biggest crisis faced by our industry in its history’.

They said: “Earlier this year, the whole of the travel industry then faced unprecedented challenges as travel restrictions were removed and demand returned rapidly to the market, and Manchester Airport was no different.

“The hugely competitive employment market and delays in training and vetting meant there were times when we were unable to keep up with passenger demand, which resulted in longer waiting times than we would like.”