East Midlands in top 10 of UK's best airports according to survey

East Midlands Airport (EMA) has ranked in the top 10 of the best airports in the UK.

It came ninth out of 29 airports, garnering a customer score of 67%.

The local airport approximately 14 miles away from Nottingham city centre scored top marks - that is the full five star rating across several categories; check-in desk queues, bag-drop queues, security queues, baggage reclaim and staff.

In comparison, the UK’s top rated airport is Liverpool John Lennon that scored 81%. 

London City came second (80%) and Norwich came third (80%). 

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Scores were calculated by Which? where 5,000 members were asked to rate airports across 11 categories, including seating, staff, toilets and queues. A customer score was calculated based on a combination of overall satisfaction and likeliness to recommend. 

On the whole, the consumer champion found smaller airports once again performed better than their larger rivals this year - with people reporting shorter queues, and a generally less stressful experience. 

You can see the full results here. 

The Which? survey result is another positive ranking for East Midlands Airport (EMA).

Earlier this year, the internationally-recognised Airport Service Quality rankings placed EMA in fifth place among 118 European airports for how people feel about their experience. 

A spokesperson for East Midlands Airport said: “Our own data shows that for the last five months, 100% of our customers queued for 15 minutes or less for security.

 “We also speak to our customers on a daily basis, surveying hundreds of people a month to get in-the-moment feedback from a full range of perspectives. 

“As well as flagging those things we need to improve, that tells us that growing numbers of people choose East Midlands Airport, even if it means travelling further, because they will enjoy a relaxed and hassle-free start to their holidays here.”

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.”