Airports are the first gateway on your holiday journey and can sometimes really ruin the entire experience. A survey of over 700,000 travelers across more than a hundred different hubs has revealed which European airports excel when it comes to services.
Randomly selected passengers at departure and arrival gates throughout the year rated categories like the most dedicated and pleasant staff, cleanliness, organization, or the easiest airport navigation and access.
The Airports Council International conducts this survey annually and then awards the Customer Experience Awards, as reported by Time Out.
Prague only leads in departures, not so impressive on arrivals
Check out the European winners for 2025. They are ranked based on the number of passengers they handle annually. Worth noting, European airports only made it among the best for departure customer service. No European airports made it to the world's best arrival airports.
The list is sorted alphabetically, not by best to worst. All airports in their categories are "equally good."
Best airports with less than two million passengers annually
- El Hierro Airport (Valverde, Spain)
- Girona-Costa Brava Airport (Costa Brava, Spain)
- Pamplona Airport (Pamplona, Spain)
- Región de Murcia International Airport (Murcia, Spain)
- Reus Airport (Reus, Spain)
- Vigo Airport (Vigo, Spain)
Best airports with two to five million passengers annually
- Menorca Airport (Menorca, Spain)
- Rome Ciampino Airport (Rome, Italy)
- Tallinn Lennart Meri Airport (Tallinn, Estonia)
- Tbilisi Shota Rustaveli International Airport (Tbilisi, Georgia)
Best airports with five to 15 million passengers annually
- Ankara Esenboğa Airport (Ankara, Turkey)
- Belfast International Airport (Crumlin, United Kingdom)
- Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport (Izmir, Turkey)
- Malta International Airport (Luqa, Malta)
- Milan Linate Airport (Milan, Italy)
- Newcastle International Airport (Newcastle, United Kingdom)
- RIX Riga Airport (Riga, Latvia)
- Zvartnots International Airport (Yerevan, Armenia)
Best airports with 15 to 25 million passengers annually
- Gran Canaria Airport (Gran Canaria, Spain)
- Helsinki Airport (Helsinki, Finland)
- Prague Airport (Prague, Czech Republic)
According to the survey, Václav Havel Airport in Prague is one of the three European airports with the best customer service and amenities among those handling 15 to 25 million passengers annually. Last year, a total of 17.75 million people passed through our capital's airport.
Best airports with 25 to 40 million passengers annually
- Copenhagen Airport (Copenhagen, Denmark)
- Vienna Airport (Vienna, Austria)
- Zurich Airport (Zurich, Switzerland)
Best airports with over 40 million passengers annually
- Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (Madrid Barajas, Spain)
- Rome Fiumicino Airport (Rome Fiumicino, Italy)
“The awards help airports create better conditions for unforgettable travel,” said Justin Erbacci, CEO of the Airports Council International. According to him, surveys show that passenger satisfaction can continue to grow—and it is indeed on the rise.
