The Consumer Choice Center has unveiled the results of its first annual European Airport Consumer Index, highlighting the top 10 airports in Europe in terms of their ease of use for passengers. With one Spanish entry on the list, what is the best place to fly into Spain? We have all the details of the top 10 and we find out which Spanish airport ranked among the best airports in Europe.
This is the first index of its kind in Europe, and aims to inform both consumers and managers as to which airports best accommodate passengers. The top 10 best airports in Europe for passenger ease of use are as follows:
- Brussels Airport
- Zurich Airport
- Düsseldorf Airport
- Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport
- Manchester Airport
- Copenhagen Airport
- Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
- Stockholm Arlanda Airport
- Frankfurt am Main Airport
- Munich Airport
Interestingly, nine of the top ten are in Northern Europe, with Spain's Madrid-Barajas the only exception. Eastern European airports are also missing, although Moscow's three airports are the only ones in the top 30 by passenger volume. The top three - Brussels, Zurich and Düsseldorf - are about a third of the size of Europe's largest airports.
Madrid airport, commonly known simply as "Barajas" is one of the busiest in Spain, catering for both a large number international and domestic flights, and boasts more transatlantic flights than any other airport in Spain. The airport is located just eight miles away from Madrid city centre and is easy to get to by public transport, either the bus, train or subway, or by car.
Consumer Choice Center has examined Europe's 30 largest airports (by passenger volume) and ranked them according to passenger experience, location, transport options, airport experience and access to the flight network. Other factors identified in the ranking were direct boarding bridges (as opposed to bus boarding), proximity to the city centre, number of lounges, short waiting times at security checkpoints and airline punctuality.