Zurich Airport Named Most Passenger-Friendly in Europe

Zurich Airport in Switzerland is the most passenger-friendly in Europe according to the Consumer Choice Center’s second annual European Airport Index. The index is intended to be used to inform both consumers and administrators as to who is doing the best job accommodating passengers.

Following Zurich Airport are Düsseldorf International Airport, Copenhagen Airport, Manchester Airport and Brussels Airport. The three best ranked airports—Zurich, Copenhagen and Duesseldorf—all have between 25 and 32 million passengers per year and are roughly one-third of the size of Europe’s largest airports, London Heathrow and Paris Charles De Gaulle (both of which cracked the top 10, however, at 10th and sixth, respectively.)

Fred Roeder, managing director of the Consumer Choice Center, said the ranking shows consumers which airports allow social distancing (in part due to their design) and where to connect ideally.

“High points were awarded to the airports that offered great destinations around the world, but also a healthy mix of shops, restaurants and conveniences found at the airport,” said Roeder in a press announcement. “This year, we also added extra points for COVID-19 testing facilities at airports.

The Consumer Choice Center, Roeder said, examined Europe’s 30 largest airports (by passenger volume) and ranked them in terms of passenger experience, considering a mix of factors ranging from location and transportation options to in-airport experience and flight network access. Additional factors include direct jet bridges (rather than bus boarding), proximity to the city center, the number of lounges, low security waiting times and on-time performance by airlines.

Bonus points were awarded to airports with pre-clearance for U.S. flights and the ability to broadcast security wait times.

The bottom five were Berlin Tegel Airport, Lisbon Airport, Athens International Airport, Palma de Mallorca Airport and London Stansted.

Source: Consumer Choice Center

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