It’s the fourth time the capital’s newest airport has topped the poll in the London region. This year it has boasted a customer score of 84% - 16% points more than the next closest airport, London City (68%). London Southend has also held the title for “Best Airport in the UK” for three years in a row (2013, 2014 and 2015 – Which? did not carry out the survey in 2016).
London Southend scored a maximum five-star rating for staff friendliness and helpfulness and also received four stars in another five out of eight categories assessed (baggage reclaim, seating, toilets, and queues at security and passport control).
By stark contrast, other London airports such as Heathrow and Gatwick struggled to satisfy just over half their passengers, with Stansted getting a miserable 38% and London Luton was named “Britain’s Worst Airport” out of 31 UK terminals surveyed. It scored just 29% - the lowest rating ever seen with passengers marking them down for queues, overcrowding and lack of seating.
London Southend has grown its network rapidly in 2017 and now boasts around 30 short-haul domestic and European routes served by easyJet, Flybe and Thomson, Recently additions include Dublin, Manchester, Glasgow, Malta, Sion, Lyon, Milan, Budapest, Venice, Prague, Vienna, Reus, Perpignan, Dubrovnik, Zadar.
Which? members were asked to complete an online survey about their experiences of flying from a UK airport in the past year. Customer scores were based on a combination of overall satisfaction and how likely people are to recommend the airport to a friend.
Glyn Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Stobart Aviation, owners of London Southend Airport, said: “Of course we’re delighted our guests voted us by far the best in the capital. But it shows just how badly customers are being let down by aviation policy, which has led to appalling congestion both in the air and on the ground. This failure affects London passengers in particular and this survey reflects the frustration they’re suffering on a daily basis.
“By contrast, Which? members have recognized that London Southend offers a substantially better way to travel with up to seven trains an hour from London, a raft of new routes and exceptional service. They’re all key factors in our success and why more and more passengers are repeatedly choosing London Southend Airport over all the others.”