Manchester Airport named worst in the UK by Which? once again - but bosses hit out at "misleading" survey

Terminal 3 finished bottom of the study for the third year running while Liverpool John Lennon airport came out on top. 

In April this year, Which? surveyed almost 5,000 members about their experiences at airports in the previous 12 months. Airports were rated in 11 categories including seating, staff, toilets and queues at check in, bag drop, passport control and security. 

In a strongly-worded statement airport bosses however accused Which? of “publishing misleading statements and factual inaccuracies” having similarly defended themselves 12 months ago. 

Bosses also pointed to the ongoing work as part of its £1.3bn Manchester Airport Transformation Programme which has already won awards and also disputed the consumer champion’s findings around waiting times among other things. According to their own data, figures show that in July 97% of passengers queued for less than 15 minutes to get to security while 69% queued for less than five minutes.

However, according to the Which? study Terminal 3 came out with a customer score of just 37 per cent with one respondent calling it “the worst airport I have ever used (and by quite a long way) compared to other UK and especially overseas airports.”

Manchester’s Terminal 1, scheduled for closure next year, fared only marginally better with a score of 40 per cent, which left it second bottom in the standings. Terminal 2, which is currently undergoing a multi-million pound upgrade, was the highest rated of Manchester’s terminals, on 51 per cent. That was still sixth worst alongside Heathrow’s Terminal 4. 

But airport chiefs have heavily disputed the findings and hit out at Which? Saying the survey was “tiny and unrepresentative”.  

A statement read: “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 is letting consumers down with over-simplified judgements based on the outdated and unrepresentative testimony of a narrow group of travellers, as well as publishing misleading statements and factual inaccuracies.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 30million 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. Which? fully understands that its readers form a narrow group of passengers whose views cannot in any way be taken to represent those of the travelling public at large, but chooses to promote its survey findings as if they do.

"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.

"That is why it is disappointing to once again see Which? chase cheap headlines with its sensational and over-simplified characterisation of airports and the different roles they play. To make matters worse, it has printed inaccurate statements about our facilities and security waiting times that paint a more negative picture than reality. This is completely unacceptable."

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.”