The UK’s best and worst airports have been revealed, with Liverpool overtaking Heathrow and Manchester remaining at the bottom. Liverpool has replaced Heathrow as the best airport in the UK, while Manchester is still at the bottom of the list for the worst.
The airport you pick can make or break the trip, and a new ranking of European airports, based on thousands of Google Maps reviews, shows which ones are the most popular—and which are the least.
The annual European Airport Index was compiled by the latest research from holiday rental platform Holidu, which analysed customer ratings for 85 of Europe’s busiest airports based on the average ratings on Google Maps and the number of ratings. The findings reveal that while some airports are still delivering a high level of service and amenities to passengers, others are facing challenges such as congestion, outdated terminals and extended waiting times.
The top news for UK travellers is Liverpool John Lennon Airport’s move to the top of the national rankings, and Manchester Airport’s continued status as the lowest-rated airport in the country for a year.
Liverpool gets top marks from passengers
Liverpool John Lennon Airport has risen eight places since last year’s report to be Britain’s best-rated airport with an average Google Maps score of 4.1.
It’s the only UK airport to be rated higher than four stars, beating Heathrow and Glasgow in the country.
Liverpool is a much smaller airport than many of the busiest in the country, but has established a reputation among travellers for being a simple airport to navigate. Some of the things that are often mentioned in customer reviews are the shorter walking distances, efficient security screening and less crowded terminals.
Liverpool’s new ranking further cements its position as one of the most convenient airports in the UK for travellers who want to avoid the hassle of big airports.
Manchester is still under fire
Meanwhile, Manchester Airport has been voted the worst airport in the UK again.
The airport has raised its Google Maps rating from 3.1 to 3.2, but is still far behind most of its British rivals and 80th of the 85 European airports in the study.
The same issues that have been highlighted in passenger reviews, including long security lines, crowded departure areas and outdated terminal facilities, remain a concern.
Manchester Airport has been making significant investments in its transformation programme, with a focus on upgrading its terminals to enhance passenger flow and capacity. But the new reviews indicate that many visitors have not yet experienced a substantial improvement in their overall experience.
One of the biggest challenges for the airport is to maintain the standards of service during periods of high demand, as millions of passengers pass through the airport each year.
Heathrow is the busiest of London’s airports
The study also reveals a significant disparity in customer satisfaction between London’s airports.
Heathrow was the top-performing airport in the capital, with a Google Maps score of 4.0 and ranking 29th in Europe.
Stansted was the second-worst airport in the UK with a score of 3.3. Gatwick and Luton were also in the bottom half of the European list, indicating that many passengers are still not happy with some aspects of their travel through some of London’s busiest airports.
These airports are frequently reviewed for congestion, queues at security and passport control, and lack of seating during peak travel times.
The results highlight the difficulties of large metropolitan airports with year-on-year growth in passenger numbers.
The airport experience in Europe is very different
The results of the rankings show a significant gap in customer satisfaction between European countries.
Istanbul Airport is at the top, having successfully defended its title as Europe’s highest-rated airport. With over 110,000 reviews on Google Maps, the Turkish aviation hub has an impressive rating of 4.4, making it one of the most popular airports in Europe as well as one of the busiest.
The airport is well designed, has modern facilities, is very clean and well organised, and passengers regularly comment on these. Automated passport controls, clear signage and well-planned terminal layouts are also consistently met with positive feedback.
Porto’s Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport in Portugal and Helsinki Airport in Finland were tied for second and third place with ratings of 4.4.
The top five airports in Europe were Athens International Airport (4.3), Zürich Airport (4.3), and the other three airports tied for fourth place with a score of 4.3.
These airports prove that customer satisfaction is not a problem when infrastructure and operations are in line with the number of passengers that the airports process annually.
Crete’s busiest airport is still the worst in Europe
Istanbul is still a city that impresses travellers, but Heraklion International Airport in Crete is still at the bottom of the European rankings.
The airport has an average rating of 2.6 on Google Maps, based on over 28,000 reviews, which is the lowest rating in Europe for the second year in a row.
The passengers’ comments are all about the lack of space in the terminals, lack of seating, lack of ventilation, and confusing layouts. In the summer months when the island is most popular, many reviewers have complained about the airport’s inability to handle the massive amounts of tourists that come to the island.
Crete is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Greece, with millions of visitors coming each year, putting a strain on the island’s infrastructure that many tourists feel has not kept up with the demand.
Belgium’s Brussels South Charleroi Airport was the second worst, with a rating of 3.1.
Long queues, inadequate staffing and delays at security checkpoints were common complaints by passengers. Several reviewers recommended arriving several hours before departure to give enough time to go through the airport procedures.
France’s Nantes Atlantique Airport was the third worst, with passengers reporting that the waiting areas were too small, seating was limited, and the facilities were outdated.
The five worst-rated airports in Europe were completed by Pisa International Airport in Italy and Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport in France.
At the bottom of the list, the common issues were overcrowding, aging infrastructure, lack of passenger facilities, and lack of capacity during peak times.
The most important things travelers appreciate
The rankings indicate that passengers are always satisfied with airports that make travelling as easy and stress-free as possible.
Fast security checks, intuitive terminal layouts, clear signs, comfortable waiting areas and clean facilities all feature prominently in positive reviews.
In contrast, overcrowded airports, confusing layouts and long queues are much more likely to receive negative feedback, no matter how big or small they are or how far away they are from the destinations they serve.
As airports across Europe continue investing in technology, terminal expansions and customer experience improvements, online reviews are becoming an increasingly important measure of passenger satisfaction.
How were the rankings produced?
Holidu based the European Airport Index on Google Maps review data collected during June 2026.
Researchers analysed average customer ratings alongside the total number of reviews for Europe’s 100 busiest airports by passenger traffic. To ensure meaningful comparisons, airports with larger numbers of reviews were given priority where ratings were tied.
Airports in Russia and Ukraine, along with airports that are no longer operational, were excluded from the final rankings, leaving 85 airports for analysis.
The findings offer an insight into how passengers perceive Europe’s busiest aviation hubs and highlight the growing importance of customer experience in an increasingly competitive travel market.
For UK travellers planning future holidays, the rankings may influence which airport they choose when multiple departure options are available. While Liverpool has emerged as Britain’s standout performer, Manchester continues to battle its reputation, and Europe’s leading airports demonstrate that even the busiest transport hubs can deliver an experience passengers are happy to recommend.