Capital airport voted friendliest in UK by travellers

The airport has been named the friendliest in the UK in a new survey, which saw staff top the list of the UK’s top 20 airports when rated on all levels of customer service.

The study, by Scottish flight comparison website, Skyscanner, asked more than 500 travellers to rate UK airports according to the friendliness of their staff.

Travellers were asked to score the airports out of ten, with Edinburgh receiving 7.41 and staff in its restaurants and shops being noted as some of the most welcoming.

The two Glasgow airports also came out in the top ten, with Glasgow Airport rated as seventh friendliest and Prestwick coming in eight.

Aberdeen was voted the least friendly out off all the Scottish airports, only reaching 14th place.

Skyscanner’s Victoria Bailie said that Edinburgh Airport had proved a good start for people’s holidays.

She said: “It’s one of the busiest times of the year for airports, with millions of holidaymakers heading to the sun.

“Our survey of travellers shows that staff at Edinburgh Airport have been kick-starting our holidays with a smile.”

She also said that the results for the whole of the UK were positive.

She said: “We like to have a good moan and grumble but overall, the average scores were positive for UK’s airports.

“Despite the summer rush, they’ve clearly been doing a good job.”

Edinburgh airport opened in 1977 and was the busiest in the UK last year, with just fewer than 9.4 million passengers.

On average 24,600 passengers pass through the airport every day.

It was the sixth busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements, with 311 flights in and out every day.

It currently employs 2500 staff.

Staff at Edinburgh Airport were delighted to not only be voted the friendliest airport in the UK, but to come out on top of the European vote as well, finishing ahead of Newcastle and Copenhagen.

Gordon Robertson, head of communications at Edinburgh Airport, said: “Scots are known for being warm and friendly towards visitors, and it’s  something we pride ourselves on here at Edinburgh Airport.

“We focus on delivering excellent service, and the team go out of their way to make our passengers feel welcome.”