The UK's best airport isn't Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester - and the worst performer may surprise you

• A major new global report ranking 279 airports across 76 countries has revealed how UK airports stack up against each other - and against the rest of the world.

June 9, 2026 – London City Airport has emerged as the UK's highest-ranked airport in the 2026 AirHelp Score, securing 43rd place globally and beating every other British airport featured in the report.

The AirHelp Score, one of the world's largest independent airport rankings, assessed 279 airports across 76 countries using data on on-time performance, passenger experience, facilities and comfort at the airport.

The east London airport achieved an overall score of 7.92 out of 10, earning strong marks for punctuality and passenger experience. The result reinforces a growing trend in global aviation, with smaller airports increasingly outperforming larger hubs on reliability and customer satisfaction.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport was the UK's second-highest ranked airport, placing 65th globally, while Heathrow recorded one of the strongest improvements in the report, climbing 85 places to 93rd worldwide.

For other UK airports, however, the picture was less positive.

Manchester Airport recorded the lowest ranking of any British airport featured, falling 49 places to 269th out of 279 airports worldwide. Edinburgh dropped 75 places to 209th, Leeds Bradford fell 40 places to 172nd and Stansted slipped to 249th.

The rankings suggest that many UK airports struggled to maintain performance over the past year. Of the 13 British airports included, most lost ground in the global standings, with London City, Heathrow and Newcastle among the few notable exceptions.

The results also reflect a broader global trend. Many of the world's busiest airports fell sharply in this year's rankings, while smaller and less congested airports continued to climb.

Brazil was the standout performer, placing 12 airports in the global top 30. Fortaleza Airport ranked second worldwide, behind Panama City's Tocumen International Airport in first place, while Cape Town International Airport completed the global top three.

Several major international hubs recorded significant declines. Dubai International fell 131 places to 149th, New York's JFK dropped 119 places to 204th and Chicago O'Hare slid 154 places to 245th.

By contrast, smaller airports continued to impress. Bodø Airport in Norway ranked ninth globally, while Denmark's Billund Airport entered the rankings for the first time and immediately secured a place in the global top 10.

The 2026 report also includes airport-specific delay and cancellation data for the first time, giving passengers a clearer picture of what sits behind each score. The contrast across UK airports is stark - Manchester recorded a delay score of 3.4, the highest of any British airport in the report, while London City came in at 1.9. For passengers, that gap translates directly into the likelihood of standing at a departure board watching their flight slip.

Tomasz Pawliszyn, CEO of AirHelp, said: "The airports at the top of this year's rankings are not always the ones passengers might expect. Size and reputation are no substitute for operational consistency, and the data makes that very clear. For UK travellers, the results show real variation in what to expect depending on where they fly from, and on-time performance remains the single biggest factor in the overall passenger experience."

AirHelp is encouraging travellers to check their eligibility using the AirHelp app, which allows passengers to quickly assess claims and manage the process without the usual administrative burden.

For more information on your passenger rights, or to check if you are eligible for compensation, visit AirHelp.co.uk or download the AirHelp app.

ENDS

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Methodology

The 2026 AirHelp Score covers 279 airports across 76 countries — the largest number ranked to date. Data was collected from 1 May 2025 to 30 April 2026. The score is weighted across on-time performance (60%), service (20%) and facilities and comfort (20%). This year’s report also includes supplementary delay and cancellation data, which provides context but does not factor into the score itself.