Best & worst UK airports 2026

This year’s top-rated airport had not a single dissatisfied customer, in a survey of more than 6,000 passengers rating 27 airports across the UK. 

Years of delays and disruption, including the national air traffic control outage that grounded thousands of flights, mean our priorities as passengers are changing. A wisely chosen airport in 2026 isn’t necessarily the one with the most interesting and varied shops, nor even the closest to home.

It’s the airport with a place to sit down - something several airports don't seem to be able to crack, according to our survey. It's somewhere with speedy security and well-managed queues and enough real human staff who will answer questions or help you if you’re struggling.

When we asked passengers to rate airport queues for more than 8,000 trips they had taken in the previous year, some travellers reported frustrations over the growing expense of navigating airports and the prioritisation of profit over travellers’ needs. We heard about fewer seats (apart from those in cafés and restaurants), ‘rip-off’ drop-off fees, and ‘exhausting’ layouts. And while pressure to spend money en route to the gate has long been an issue, travellers' increasing anxiety and stress mean patience may be wearing thin.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Our survey once again this year shows that some airports set a better standard – going above and beyond – from five-star cleanliness to well-managed queues, customer service with a genuine smile, plus inclusive, accessible layouts and top-quality special assistance. 

This article first appeared in Which? Travel magazine. We don't accept freebies from travel companies, airlines, or hotels, so you can be sure that our investigations, recommendations, and reviews are completely unbiased.

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Where to expect UK airport queues

Yet again, small-to-medium airports topped our table. These included Exeter, Liverpool John Lennon, London City and Cardiff – no airport scored higher than these in any queueing category. Each scored the full five stars for check-in queues, along with Newcastle, Belfast City (George Best), Southampton, East Midlands and Bournemouth. 

At the other end of the table for another year running, Manchester Terminal 3 is not only the UK’s worst airport, but also scored worst for queues along with Luton, Manchester Terminal 2, London Stansted and Birmingham.

UK airport reviews: best airports in the UK

Exeter 83%

‘It may seem a strange thing to say, but I enjoyed my time at Exeter airport,’ said one Which? member of Exeter. ‘It’s a lovely little place. Car park within a two-minute walk of the terminal, no queues anywhere and plenty of comfortable seating in the departure lounge’. 

Travellers were pleased with their return journeys too, with several praising the short time spent between landing and leaving the airport – one passenger was on their way home within 20 minutes. 

Remarkably, not a single survey respondent reported being dissatisfied with Exeter. The only other airport to achieve this was Southampton. As with most beloved airports, Exeter is a small hub, with flights to only 28 destinations, across 10 countries – so it can sidestep some of the pressure points of larger airports.

However, it says it served over 30% more passengers in the year to March 2026, partially due to the new KLM flights to international hub Amsterdam Schiphol, connecting the south west to 160 onward destinations.

Verdict: A comfortable, efficient and compact airport that’s top of the table.

Liverpool John Lennon 79%

For another year running, we urge you to choose Liverpool airport over Manchester if you can. Just 30 miles apart, the difference in customer satisfaction is staggering (Manchester T3 scored 53%, and T2 is 58%) – as is the difference in the star rating. Rated four or five stars in almost every category, Liverpool was rated a far better experience than Manchester by passengers in our survey.

Verdict: The very best airport in the North West.

Best airport in London

London City 78%

London’s smallest airport is also its best. One passenger told us they ‘love the orderliness at London City’, and another said: ‘It was a quieter airport, so less stressful.’ Many customers praised its efficiency, with one telling us: 'From the start of the journey, queuing at security and going through checking takes less than 10 minutes. It’s well thought-out and easy to get around the terminal.’

The airport received high satisfaction ratings for queues at its check-in desks (81% satisfied), security (85% satisfied), passport control queues (79%) and the wait at baggage reclaim (69%).

The airport shone for special assistance too, with satisfaction scores at 93%. Only Leeds Bradford matched this. 

Verdict: A consistently excellent London airport.

Which is better – Heathrow or Gatwick?

London Heathrow  (T4 & T5 66%, T2 64%, T3 62%)

T4 and T5 at Heathrow have the highest score of any airport that handles more than 10 million travellers, and performed slightly better than Gatwick’s two terminals in our survey. 

But watch out if you’ll need special assistance. At London Heathrow Terminal 5, 21% of users were dissatisfied with the service (at London City Airport, just 2% were dissatisfied). Of T5’s special assistance, one passenger said: ‘Once you get into disabled provision, you are basically stuck.’ 

They said the area lacked even a water fountain and added: ‘If you have a long wait, they don’t have anybody available to take you to a café. You can’t self-propel the wheelchairs, and they don’t like companions taking you through with airport wheelchairs.’

Some respondents claimed that walking aids were dropped off in the wrong place, with passengers feeling dumped or rushed through the airport, and companions or carers left behind. Heathrow says its facilities have fountains, and its staff help passengers visit shops and restaurants when timings allow.

Verdict: If you are flying long-haul, T4 and T5 are the best options in the UK. But for short-haul, or if you need special assistance, consider flying from London City.

London Gatwick (North and South Terminal 63%)

Gatwick’s two terminals had a lower customer score in our survey than all of Heathrow’s terminals, apart from T3. 

Neither Gatwick’s North nor South Terminal scored four stars in a single category, with two and three-star ratings across the board. 

Seating and food and drink were the biggest issues travellers complained about, rated two stars in both terminals. 

Verdict: If you have a choice, T4 and T5 at Heathrow offer a better start to your journey. 

Which is better – Stansted or Luton Airport?

Stansted 58%

The UK’s fourth busiest airport was considered pretty innovative when celebrated architect Norman Foster unveiled his design in 1991. Following huge passenger growth (30 million in 2025), in recent years it’s been much less celebrated in our passenger surveys.

It was the only airport in our survey that got one star for its seating provision outside of bars, restaurants and cafés, suggesting it's struggling to cope with the number of passengers. It has started construction on a big five-year expansion, which will significantly increase the size of the terminal.  

The airport was rated a moderate three stars for customer service, but just two stars for its check-in, security and passport control queues. It was one of only two airports that got just two stars for cleanliness.

In December, it was permitted to increase its passenger limit to 51 million, which it intends to do over the next 20 years.

Verdict: Stansted has much room for improvement in years to come.

Luton 57%

Gone are the days when Luton was rooted at the bottom of our airports survey. In 2017, while in the middle of a £160m refurb, it got the staggeringly low score of 29%.

This year it was rated better than Manchester’s worst terminal, but is still the lowest-rated airport in London. Despite the lavish spending on introducing more shops and restaurants, you still say there aren’t enough seats, and rated customer service poorly, with ratings of two stars for both.

One traveller said that Luton Airport seemed preoccupied with ‘selling stuff’, with what felt like a lack of seating, and being routed through shops. They added that the airport seemed ‘hell-bent on making travelling as unpleasant and expensive as possible’. 

The airport is planning a £2.5b expansion, which would increase permitted passenger cap from 18 million to 32 million per year.

Verdict: Here’s hoping some of the expansion budget goes towards more seating, toilets, and improving security queues.

Our newest Which? Recommended providers

Cardiff 77%

It’s rare to hear an airport described as ‘a delight’, but this new Which? Recommended Provider (WRP) has won over customers. Cardiff airport scored five stars in three categories, and four stars across most of the rest. 

‘The airport felt easy to navigate, staff were friendly and helpful, and the overall experience was smooth and less stressful compared to larger airports. I also appreciated the shorter queues, clean facilities, and efficient check-in and security process’, said a respondent. Others described it as ‘spotlessly clean’ and ‘very comfortable [with] plenty of room to sit down’. Only 3% of respondents said they struggled to find a seat.

In fact, some people can’t seem to get enough, with some respondents expressing a desire for more destinations. But the CAA has named Cardiff the second-fastest-growing airport in the UK, with a 24% annual passenger increase — and Cardiff is expanding its routes, aiming to serve three million passengers a year by 2040.

Verdict: A well-designed airport with ambitious plans to link Wales with even more of the world.

East Midlands 75%

Halfway through a five-year £120m investment programme, East Midlands Airport (EMA) seems to be paying attention to the details that improve a journey: plenty of seating, stronger wi-fi, new water refilling stations, an airside multifaith room and refreshed toilet facilities. 

It has updated its security area, and also its departure lounge, adding restaurants and shops, a kids’ zone, and quiet room, complete with a wheelchair-accessible sensory pod. 

EMA has earned a reputation as a ‘small and friendly airport that allows staff to treat you more as a human being than cargo’, according to one passenger.

Another said that after trying Birmingham, Luton and Stansted over the years, they would ‘only fly from East Midlands’, adding that they would even ignore bargains that came up from other airports. 

Verdict: Attention to detail and customer service that earns it loyal returning customers.

Worst rated airport in the UK: Manchester T3

Looking closely, you may have spotted that Manchester Terminal 1 (T1) is missing from this year’s survey. That’s because, in November 2025, it closed. These days T1 has, in part, become Terminal 3 (T3), along with the original T3, and most T1 airlines have now moved to Terminal 2. 

Confused? Spare a thought for the travellers. One told us their experience at T3 ‘was defined by poor layout and a lack of passenger consideration’, adding that ‘the walking distances are excessive, exacerbated by the fact that security and lounges are located in the old T1 area, forcing a constant backtrack’. That’s after the ‘long and exhausting walk from the airport rail/tram station, especially when you are pulling heavy holiday luggage, and the airport’s moving walkways areout of action’, as another passenger put it. 

One said T3, which now primarily serves Ryanair flights, was ‘quite appalling for a supposedly modern airport’, reporting that they experienced a two-hour check-in queue due to broken check-in machines, 20-minute queues for cafés and toilets, and ‘nowhere to sit’. 

With two stars in every category, Manchester T3 slumps to the bottom of our table, the worst place to fly from in the UK according to our survey. 

The airport has announced a multi-million-pound investment, using the ‘freed-up space’ from T1 to remodel and expand the entrance, security and departure lounge, and add shops and restaurants. 

Manchester Airport told us that there is a ‘project ongoing to remove and replace the old travelators’, and that according to its own data, 75% of its passengers waited five minutes or less to get to security.

Verdict: Fly from Liverpool instead.