Exeter Airport flying high after winning five-star rating

Exeter Airport has been rated the best airport in the UK for customer experience, securing a prestigious ‘Recommended Provider’ status from consumer champion Which?
Exeter received a customer score of 80 per cent, placing it at the very top of the Which? survey and one of only six airports nationwide to be awarded the Recommended Provider recognition.
Its sister airports Bournemouth and Norwich, which are all part of the Regional & City Airports group, are also in the top six.
Exeter Airport earned five-star ratings across categories including customer service, check-in, bag drop, toilets and security queues.
Travellers consistently highlighted the airport’s calm atmosphere and efficient processes, with one passenger describing Exeter as “a relaxed and stress-free travel experience”.
The survey gathered feedback from almost 6,000 passengers, rating airports across a range of factors.
Travellers praised Exeter for its friendly staff, smooth check-in process and stress-free experience compared to larger airports.
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.”
Exeter Airport currently serves 27 destinations including daily flights to Amsterdam with KLM which began in March. The airport directly employs 230 people and in the year ended March 2025 welcomed almost 443,000 passengers.
While Exeter was triumphant, Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) narrowly missed out on clinching a third consecutive title of the best UK airport.
The airport has topped the UK rankings for the previous two years, but was beaten to top spot in the poll by Exeter.
And once again, Manchester Airport fares badly in the customer poll, with terminals 1 and 3 occupying the bottom two berths, while Manchester’s Terminal 2 was placed fourth from bottom.
LJLA’s chief executive, John Irving, said: “After a period involving a host of developments and improvements it’s a tremendous achievement to once again be acknowledged by the travelling public as one of the best airports in the UK and to be a Which? Recommended Provider for the fourth consecutive year.
“We’ve just had our busiest summer ever with passengers enjoying our renowned passenger experience and today’s news is something that everyone who works here is really proud of and is a reflection of all the hard work put in by our staff alongside our dedicated third-party operators.”
Earlier this month, Exeter Airport launched a new virtual tour that seeks to provide assistance for those in need of accessible air travel.
The fully interactive tour, which can be found online, allows potential passengers the opportunity to navigate the airport from their own device, providing insight into car parking, check-in and security, as well as departure lounges and gates.
The tour aims to support inclusivity within air travel and was created by The Virtual Tour Experts, a Sidmouth-based company specialising in the creation of accessible 360° tours previously chosen to be part of the 2024 recipients of the Future of Air Mobility accelerator.