Manchester Airport’s Terminal 3 has been rated the worst airport terminal in the UK for the fourth consecutive year, according to the consumer group Which?. The annual poll found Terminal 3 scored poorly across multiple categories despite handling more than a million passengers each month.
The survey of 5,789 British travellers asked respondents to rate their experiences at airports across 10 categories. Terminal 3 received one-star ratings in several areas, including security queues, seating, prices in shops and food outlets and the range and quality of shops and food outlets. London Luton was the lowest-scoring airport in the capital, coming third from bottom overall and also receiving one star in the survey.
Passengers cited overcrowding and inadequate facilities. "Now Ryanair puts most of its flights through there and it is absolutely not set up for that number of passengers," one traveller told the survey. "It’s impossible to get a drink or something to eat, but much worse than that — there is nowhere to sit."
Manchester Airport has faced operational and public order challenges in recent years. The notes to the survey and local reporting referenced delays, arrests and protests linked to incidents at the site. In July 2024 a man was found guilty of attacking two female police officers during a large violent disturbance at the airport that circulated widely on social media; the disturbance prompted two nights of protests in Rochdale and Manchester.
Which? did not publish capacity or passenger figures in the survey results beyond respondents’ ratings, but the findings underscore continuing concerns about passenger experience at Terminal 3 as it manages high volumes of budget carrier traffic. The repeated low ranking marks the latest critical assessment in what travellers and consumer advocates say is a persistent performance problem for the terminal.
The survey results are likely to increase scrutiny on airport operators and airlines that use Terminal 3, as well as on regulators and local authorities responsible for policing and managing crowds at one of the country’s busiest air hubs. Manchester Airport and airline representatives did not provide comment in the material accompanying the survey release.