2025 was the busiest year for flights since 2019. At Heathrow Airport, the UK and Europe’s busiest airport, passenger numbers for the year surpassed 84 million for the first time ever. December alone set a new record, with almost 7.2 million passengers travelling through the hub. With 2025 breaking previous passenger records, it is highly possible that travellers encountered some of the challenges that come with larger crowds at one point or another during their journeys.

According to the latest survey from consumer watchdog Which?, the UK’s most enjoyable airport experience comes not from Heathrow, Gatwick, or London City, but from one of the smaller hubs. Topping the list for 2025 is Exeter Airport, which achieved a customer satisfaction score of 80%.

Which? surveyed nearly 5,789 passengers in April 2025 who collectively took about about 7,975 airport trips in the past 12 months. The one-runway airport which serves fewer than half a million passengers annually, received five-star ratings for staff, toilets, and queues at check-in, bag drop, and airport security.

Unlike busier and bigger airports, Exeter allows passengers to park close, walk straight to check-in, and reach the gate in under five minutes, Which? stated.

The only areas where it received lower marks were its range of shops and food options, and a higher than average rate of last-minute cancellations at 3.1%, mainly due to flights serving the windy Channel Islands and Isles of Scilly.

Stephen Wiltshire, Managing Director of Exeter Airport, said: “We’re thrilled to be recognised by Which? as the UK’s best-rated airport for customer experience. This achievement reflects the dedication of our team, who consistently go the extra mile to make every journey through Exeter as seamless and enjoyable as possible.

“Being rated so highly by our passengers is especially rewarding and underlines our commitment to delivering a quality travel experience while continuing to grow and expand our services.

“It’s also hugely encouraging to see our sister airports Norwich and Bournemouth also ranked among the UK’s top six, underlining the strength of Regional & City Airports as a group and our shared commitment to excellent customer service.”

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel said: “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 and maybe even get that holiday feeling started a little sooner.”

The airport serves 27 destinations including daily flights to Amsterdam with KLM which started in March 2025. Exeter Airport employs 230 people. It handled 450,112 passengers from April to October 2025, a 28% increase from the previous year, boosted by the new KLM flights to Amsterdam, TUI doubling its aircraft and routes, and the new Loganair Exeter–Manchester service that started on October 26.

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1. Exeter
2. Liverpool John Lennon
3. London City
4. Bournemouth
5. Newcastle
6. Norwich
7. Inverness
8. Cardiff
9. Southampton
10. Belfast City (George Best)