London City Airport has been named the UK's highest-ranked airport in the 2026 AirHelp Score, securing 43rd place globally among 279 assessed airports. The annual report, which evaluates on-time performance, passenger experience, facilities, and comfort across 76 countries, saw the east London airport achieve an overall score of 7.92 out of 10. This ranking highlights a trend where smaller airports are increasingly outperforming larger hubs in reliability and customer satisfaction.
Liverpool John Lennon Airport followed as the second-highest UK airport, ranking 65th worldwide. Heathrow Airport also showed improvement, climbing 85 places to 93rd globally.
Conversely, Manchester Airport recorded the lowest ranking of any British airport featured, falling 49 places to 269th out of 279 airports worldwide. Other UK airports also saw declines, with Edinburgh dropping to 209th, Leeds Bradford to 172nd, and Stansted to 249th. Of the 13 British airports included, most lost ground in the global standings, with only London City, Heathrow, and Newcastle showing notable exceptions.
The report also noted significant drops for several major international hubs, including Dubai International (149th), New York's JFK (204th), and Chicago O'Hare (245th). Brazil emerged as a strong performer, with 12 airports in the global top 30, including Fortaleza Airport at second place and Panama City's Tocumen International Airport at first.
For the first time, the 2026 report includes airport-specific delay and cancellation data. Manchester Airport recorded a delay score of 3.4, the highest among British airports in the report, while London City had a score of 1.9.
Tomasz Pawliszyn, CEO of AirHelp, commented that "operational consistency" is more critical than size or reputation. He added that for UK travelers, "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."
Manchester Airport's low ranking follows several high-profile incidents. In one instance, a passenger reportedly caused a four-hour disruption in Terminal 2 after being denied boarding for an apparent flight to Jamaica. The incident led to road closures and significant traffic gridlock around the airport, with passengers forced to abandon taxis and walk to the terminal. Greater Manchester Police arrested the individual on suspicion of public nuisance and a public order offense. Reports indicated the passenger was later reimbursed for his holiday.
Another incident at Manchester Airport on July 23, 2024, involved a brawl where two brothers allegedly assaulted three officers. One of the brothers was convicted of assaulting two officers in 2025. Juries were unable to reach verdicts on charges related to a third officer in two separate trials, and a third retrial will not occur.