The survey by Which? found it was the best place to fly from based on a combination of overall satisfaction, likeliness to recommend and time spent queuing at security.

Thanks to staff described as “friendly” and “helpful”, the Which? Recommended Provider was deemed to have an “uncommonly hassle-free experience”.

London City airport (77%) was unable to match Liverpool’s 82% overall score, and the popular destination was the second favourite among flyers, due to its handy transport links and an estimated wait at security of just 10 minutes.

At the other end of the runway were Manchester’s terminals one and three, which made the bottom two spots. Luton airport was the lowest ranking airport to fly from in London.

Manchester checks-in bottom of the table

Nearly 4,000 respondents shared their experiences flying between June 2022 and 2023, which was a time hit by strikes from airport staff across the UK.

Considering the study’s results, Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel said: “Choosing the right airport isn’t often high on travellers’ holiday checklists, but taking the time to think about where you’re flying from can really pay dividends.

“We’d recommend opting for a smaller airport, as our survey shows they generally tend to perform better on queue times and customer service, giving holidaymakers the positive start to their holidays they should expect.”

The results come at a turbulent time for passengers and airport staff as more than 750 departures and arrivals were cancelled to and from UK airports this week.

National Air Traffic Services (NATS) stated that technical issues meant it had to apply restrictions to the air traffic flow, which caused mass cancellations and knock-on effects for travellers.

If you’ve been affected by the recent flight disruptions, check Your Money’s roundup of what rights you have.

UK airports ranked

Source: Which?

Security times and how they compare

Source: Which?