European airport ranking

As the evenings draw in, thoughts turn to a few days in the sun. In the UK, the Christmas holidays bring the next big wave of travel, with February half term not far behind. Soon the suitcase is packed, and the boarding pass is ready on the phone. But before any holiday properly begins, millions of travellers first have to make their way through a terminal. So where is the wait before take-off pleasant, and at which airports do the holiday begin before boarding?

SpaDreams' European airport ranking offers an answer. The tour operator analysed around 3.3 million Google reviews of 193 passenger airports in 36 European countries and territories, 21 of them in the UK. The results suggest that an airport does not need to be a big, well-known hub to score well. Top of the table is the airport serving Estonia's capital, Tallinn, which beat many far larger European airports to first place in the 2026 ranking.

For the UK, the picture is mixed. Its 21 airports average just 3.7 stars, below the European average of 3.9. London City Airport, in 49th place, is the only UK airport to make the top 50. Manchester, the largest airport outside London, finishes 183rd.

• Room for improvement in the UK: The 21 UK airports average 3.7 stars. Among countries with at least five airports, that is only enough for ninth place, ahead of Italy and France. The best UK airport is London City in 49th place. On a brighter note, eleven UK airports have improved by 0.1 stars on last year.
• Gold for the Baltics: Tallinn Lennart Meri Airport tops the ranking with 4.6 stars from 9,373 reviews. Only Ireland's Shannon Airport matches that average, taking second place with 3,927 reviews.
• The north leads the way: The 16 airports in Northern Europe average 4.2 stars, ahead of Eastern Europe (4.0), Southern Europe including Turkey (3.9) and Western Europe (3.8).
• Austria comes out top among countries: Among countries with at least five airports, Austria averages 4.2 stars, ahead of Spain and Norway (4.1 each). Spain has the most airports in the top 50, with seven.
• France brings up the rear: France's 22 airports average 3.6 stars and none makes the top 50. Paris-Beauvais comes last with 2.5 stars.

1. Tallinn Lennart Meri Airport, Estonia

Rating: 4.6 from 9,373 reviews

Gold goes to Estonia. Tallinn Lennart Meri Airport takes first place with 4.6 stars from 9,373 reviews. It was already Europe's highest-placed airport in the 2025 global airport ranking by sister brand Fit Reisen. Only around four kilometres separate the terminal from the city centre. The operator has set out to make it the cosiest airport in the world, and it shows in the details. Next to Gate 1 is a library that never closes and runs entirely on trust. Travellers can take a book for the journey and bring it back some other time. Families head for Gate 5, where a three-storey playhouse themed around Lotte, an Estonian cartoon character, is made for climbing and sliding. Airports Council International has named Tallinn the best European airport in its size category on several occasions. Aitäh, Tallinn!

2. Shannon Airport, Ireland

Rating: 4.6 from 3,927 reviews

Silver goes to Ireland's west coast. Shannon Airport in County Clare also scores 4.6 stars, from 3,927 reviews, and misses out on first place only because it has fewer reviews. Few airports have made as much aviation history. The world's first duty-free shop opened here in 1947, back then little more than a kiosk. Shannon was also the first airport in Europe to offer full US preclearance. Passengers flying to the US complete immigration and customs in Ireland and arrive as if they had taken a domestic flight. Shannon also opened Europe's first airport sensory room, a quiet retreat for travellers with autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. And then there is Irish coffee. Chef Joe Sheridan created it in 1942 at the airport's predecessor in nearby Foynes to warm up chilled transatlantic passengers.

3. Istanbul Airport, Turkey

Rating: 4.4 from 114,782 reviews

Third place goes to the giant of the field. Istanbul Airport scores 4.4 stars and, with 114,782 reviews, is the most-reviewed airport in Europe. No other hub with more than 50,000 reviews does better. Built near the Black Sea coast, it has been the city's main airport since April 2019. Its terminal covers around 1.4 million square metres and is considered the largest airport terminal in the world under a single roof. Anyone with time before their flight can fit in a little culture. In the international departures area, the Istanbul Airport Museum is devoted to Turkish history, and its opening exhibition brought together 316 objects from 29 museums across the country. Istanbul shows that size and satisfaction can go hand in hand - and on a volume of reviews most of its rivals cannot come close to.

4. Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport, Portugal

Rating: 4.4 from 36,549 reviews

Fourth place goes to Portugal. Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport in Porto earns 4.4 stars from 36,549 reviews. For the airport in the north of the country, good marks are something of a tradition. Airports Council International has named it one of Europe's best airports in its size category more than a dozen times. These awards are based on passenger surveys covering waiting times, staff friendliness, cleanliness and comfort. At the same time, the airport has grown rapidly, from 3.1 million passengers in 2005 to more than 15 million a year. It is run by ANA Aeroportos de Portugal. Visitors to the city on the Douro can count on a smooth start to their trip.

5. Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport, Spain

Rating: 4.4 from 28,908 reviews

The Costa Blanca makes its mark in fifth place. Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport has climbed from 4.3 to 4.4 stars since last year's ranking and, with 28,908 reviews, breaks into the top five. It lies nine kilometres south-west of Alicante, within the municipality of Elche. In 2025 it handled almost 20 million passengers, more than ever before, making it Spain's fifth-busiest airport. Nearly nine in ten passengers come from abroad, most of them from the UK, followed by Germany. Busy, then, yet still well rated. To keep it that way, operator Aena is planning to extend the terminal building. The airport is named in honour of the Spanish poet Miguel Hernández. No other country has as many airports in the top 50 as Spain, which has seven.

6. Helsinki Vantaa Airport, Finland

Rating: 4.4 from 21,761 reviews

Finland takes sixth place. Helsinki Vantaa Airport earns 4.4 stars from 21,761 reviews and is the second Northern European airport in the top ten after Tallinn. Passengers changing planes here find themselves, in a sense, in a forest clearing. That at least is the effect of Aukio, the terminal extension opened in 2019. A 75-metre LED screen frames the space and shows Finnish landscapes, filmed in places such as Koli and Lake Saimaa, to the sound of wind and birdsong. Over 24 hours, all four seasons pass by. Operator Finavia sees Aukio as a shop window for Finland, since for millions of international travellers the airport is their first contact with the country. The space is aimed mainly at passengers transferring between Europe and Asia, giving them a chance to catch their breath before their onward flight.

7. Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport, Poland

Rating: 4.4 from 17,638 reviews

Seventh place goes to Poland. Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport earns 4.4 stars from 17,638 reviews. Located around twelve kilometres north-west of Gdańsk, it serves the entire Tricity of Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia. Since 2004 it has been named after former Polish president Lech Wałęsa. Last year was the busiest in its history, with around six million passengers in 2025, ten per cent more than the year before. The most popular destinations were London, Oslo and Copenhagen. Gdańsk is not alone. Poland has five airports in the top 50 in total, including Wrocław in 20th place. For a country that tends to trail Spain or Portugal in holiday conversations, that is a remarkable result.

8. Madeira International Airport Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal

Rating: 4.4 from 15,205 reviews

Portugal appears twice in the top ten. In eighth place is Madeira International Airport Cristiano Ronaldo, with 4.4 stars from 15,205 reviews. Around 13 kilometres north-east of Funchal, it has carried the name of the island's most famous son since 2017. The bust of the footballer unveiled for the renaming made headlines around the world at the time and raised more than a few smiles. The real showpiece, though, is the runway. To extend it to 2,781 metres, part of it was built out over the sea. This platform rests on 180 pillars, each around 70 metres high, and won the IABSE Outstanding Structure Award in 2004. The approach between the cliffs and the Atlantic is considered so demanding that pilots have to complete special training. Around 5.7 million passengers used the airport in 2025, up twelve per cent on the previous year.

9. Billund Airport, Denmark

Rating: 4.4 from 7,432 reviews

Ninth place goes to Denmark. Billund Airport improves from 4.3 to 4.4 stars compared with last year, based on 7,432 reviews. Its history is closely linked to one of the world's best-known toys. In 1961 Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, son of the LEGO founder, had a private runway laid north of the factory in Billund. Business partners and sales staff could then reach the small Jutland town more quickly. In November 1964 it became a public airport. Today Billund is Denmark's second-largest airport and one of the country's most important air cargo centres. For many families it is also the gateway to LEGOLAND, right next door.

10. Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport, Poland

Rating: 4.4 from 4,537 reviews

Poland also rounds off the top ten. Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport holds on to last year's 4.4 stars and has 4,537 reviews. It lies around eight kilometres north of Rzeszów in the south-east of the country. At 3,200 metres, its runway is the third longest in Poland and can take wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 747. Since 2022 Jasionka has gained an international profile as a hub for aid deliveries to neighbouring Ukraine, and then formal US President Joe Biden landed here twice. Passenger numbers are also rising fast. Around 1.28 million passengers used the airport in 2025, a record and just over twelve per cent more than the year before. That a comparatively small regional airport finishes ahead of many big-city airports shows once again that size alone does not decide how satisfied travellers are.

Anyone looking for the best UK airport has to scroll down to 49th place in the European ranking. That is where London City Airport sits, with 4.2 stars from 6,574 reviews. It is followed by Liverpool John Lennon (70th) and Cardiff (79th), both on 4.1 stars, and London Heathrow (82nd) on 4.0. The gap between London's airports is wide. While City and Heathrow lead the way, Gatwick (103rd, 3.9 stars), Southend (138th, 3.8 stars), Luton (164th, 3.5 stars) and Stansted (179th, 3.3 stars) fare considerably worse. Birmingham (174th) and Bristol (176th) also finish near the bottom. Last among UK airports is Manchester in 183rd place with 3.2 stars. On average, UK airports score 3.7 stars, below the European average of 3.9.

There are also clear differences between the four nations. Scotland averages 3.8 stars, just ahead of England (3.7 stars). The best Scottish airport is Glasgow in 91st place with 4.0 stars, while Edinburgh, Scotland's largest airport, only reaches 152nd (3.6 stars). Wales comes out on top: its only ranked airport, Cardiff (79th, 4.1 stars), gives it the best average of the four nations. Northern Ireland comes last, with Belfast International in 169th place on 3.5 stars. Within England, the six London airports average 3.8 stars, ahead of the rest of England's airports (3.6 stars).

Major hubs: top to bottom

Among the 16 airports with more than 50,000 reviews, scores range from 4.4 stars at Istanbul to 3.2 at Berlin Brandenburg. Athens (4.3) and Rome Fiumicino, Vienna and Warsaw (4.2 each) show that large capital-city airports can also win travellers over. London Heathrow, Barcelona and Munich share 4.0 stars. Frankfurt scores 3.8, while Paris Charles de Gaulle (3.7) and Lisbon (3.6) perform noticeably worse.

At the bottom: France and the low-cost airports

Two groups dominate the lower end of the table. France accounts for four of the bottom ten places, and even its best airport, Montpellier, only reaches 75th. Paris-Beauvais comes last with 2.5 stars, just behind Chambéry and Heraklion on Crete, on 2.6 stars each. Airports served mainly by low-cost airlines also finish well down the list. Frankfurt-Hahn (2.9), Warsaw-Modlin (3.0) and Brussels-Charleroi (3.1), along with Beauvais, score on average more than a star below the main airports of their respective cities.

Europe's airports are getting slightly better reviews: across the 193 airports in our ranking, the average Google rating rose from 3.89 to 3.91 stars. Forty-five airports improved their rating and only ten got worse, while the number of reviews grew by around 16 per cent to almost 3.3 million. Tallinn Lennart Meri Airport in Estonia remains Europe's best-rated airport with 4.6 stars, ahead of Shannon, Istanbul and Porto. Istanbul is also the most-reviewed airport, with almost 115,000 reviews. Alicante-Elche (from 16th to 5th) and Billund (from 23rd to 9th) are new in the top ten.
The UK's 21 airports rose from an average of 3.67 to 3.72 stars, and none got worse. London City is again the UK's best-rated airport with 4.2 stars, Liverpool climbed 19 places to 70th, and Manchester is still the lowest-rated UK airport with 3.2 stars. Paris-Beauvais is once more last in Europe, with 2.5 stars.

For the 2026 European airport ranking, SpaDreams analysed around 3.3 million Google reviews of 193 passenger airports in 36 European countries and territories. Airports were selected using the airport directories on metar-taf.com and lists of Europe's busiest airports by passenger numbers. Only airports serving passenger traffic were included. Purely military, cargo, business and private airfields, air force bases, aviation museums and temporarily or permanently closed facilities were excluded. Airports in countries currently subject to a travel warning from the German Federal Foreign Office (Belarus and Ukraine) and in Russia were also left out. Only airports with at least 500 Google reviews were ranked. Positions are based on the average star rating; where averages are equal, the airport with more reviews ranks higher. Reviews were collected from Google Maps on 21 September 2026.