Inverness top Scots airport for customer satisfaction

Inverness airport received top marks for its design and the efficiency of its passport control. Picture: Colin Hattersley

The airport, which received top marks for its design and the efficiency of its passport control, scored 68 per cent in the poll of travellers, who were asked to rate UK airports on factors such as passport control, security, the range of shops on offer and the overall environment.

Edinburgh also did well, according to the poll by consumer group Which?, ranking in the top ten of large UK airports with a score of 63 per cent.

However, Glasgow Prestwick was branded one of the worst in the UK, receiving only one star out of five for facilities, food outlets and shops, and achieving a score of just 52 per cent.

Overall, smaller airports fared better, with only three of the UK’s largest in the top ten: Newcastle International,  Birmingham Terminal 1 and Heathrow Terminal 5 .

“Our research shows a jumbo jet-sized gap in the performance of UK airports, with smaller terminals generally performing better,” said Which? executive director Richard Lloyd.

The survey found that across the board, there was very little difference in the time people waited at check-in desks compared with bag-drop desks after checking in online.

Graeme Bell, Inverness Airport manager, said: “We are delighted to have been recognised as the best-performing small airport in Scotland.

“The airport team works hard to deliver a great experience for our customers, and this ranking shows that our customers are pleased with the service they receive.”

A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said: “The team works hard to give all of our passengers the best experience possible as they use our airport. It’s pleasing to see that we’re in the top five in our class, but it’s clear we can improve in a number of areas.”

Glasgow Prestwick was the worst Scottish airport and in the bottom ten of all sizes. However, a spokesman said: “We are currently surveying our passengers and one outcome shows that 63 per cent found little or no queues at check-in. We work hard here to be fast and friendly and get passengers on their way as quickly as possible.”

Aberdeen International passengers ranked the speed of check-in and passport control highly, but quality and range of food outlets and shops was poor.

Sarah Campbell, spokeswoman, said: “According to our most recent figures, 86.1 per cent of our passengers felt either good or very good about their airport experiences.

“We also regularly score highly in friendliness of security staff and length of queue time.

“We recognise that our customers are seeking an improved catering and retail offering, and the terminal redevelopment plans will address those issues.”