Aberdeen landed with worst airport rating for fourth year

Aberdeen International airport has been rated the worst airport in Scotland for the last four years. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

Passengers who used the airport panned its lack of seating, limited range of shops and food outlets and the long waits at baggage reclaim – all earning the airport the lowest rating of one star and a paltry overall customer score of 49 per cent.

According to the latest Which? Travel airport survey, Edinburgh International airport, which handles over 12 million passengers a year and is the largest airport in Scotland, scored a middle of the road 59 per cent.

However, when Which? compared this to other high-capacity airports, Edinburgh was rated the fourth best in the UK after Heathrow T5, Birmingham and Heathrow Terminal 3 in the “large airport” category.

Inverness earned the highest customer score of the four Scottish airports included in the survey, despite being the smallest, earning a 68 per cent customer score. Those surveyed said it “operated well” and was “pleasant” and “friendly”.

Meanwhile, Glasgow International scored 63 per cent. Serving just under ten million passengers a year, it is included in the ‘Small airports’ table for the whole of the UK. If it served over ten million passengers, it would rank among the best of the ‘large airports’ table. Travellers flying from Glasgow said that their experience had been “seamless” and “quick”.

Rory Boland, Which? Travel editor said: “Whether it’s for business or pleasure, for most Scots their trip starts when they get to the airport, but long queues and poor facilities can really put a dampener on your getaway.

“With new routes to and from Scotland launching all the time, passengers have an increasing choice over not just who they fly with but where they fly from. And, it’s clear that some airports will need to improve or risk people taking their business elsewhere.”

A spokeswoman for Aberdeen Airport said that the survey was carried out while major works were being done.

She said: “The airport was in the midst of the £20 million terminal transformation project when the survey was undertaken, where we have since opened new retail facilities and a vastly improved security search area. We have invested heavily in airport improvements since we launched the project back in 2016. We’re dedicated to improving the airport experience for our passengers, and with this in mind, we have upgraded our international and domestic baggage reclaim facilities, as well as new immigration and arrivals areas.”

She said the project would be completed by autumn 2019.

Inverness Airport general manager, Graeme Bell, said: “This is a real vote of confidence for Inverness Airport and further proof that the airport is continuing to go from strength to strength.”