Exeter Airport in the United Kingdom has been named the world’s happiest airport in a customer feedback survey conducted by HappyOrNot.
The study compiled results from 158 sensors across 160 airports in 36 countries. Travellers recorded their satisfaction by pressing dark green or light green “happy” buttons at each location, providing a simple, instant measure of passenger sentiment.
Exeter topped the list with an overall happiness score of 88.66 percent. Close behind were Cork (ORK) and Rome (FCO) with 88.45 percent. Other high-ranking airports included Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (87.35 percent), Newcastle Airport (87.05 percent), London Southend Airport (86.79 percent), Cardiff Airport (86.57 percent) and Iceland’s Keflavík International Airport (86.35 percent).
More than 120,000 responses were gathered between November 2016 and November 2017. The feedback covered multiple aspects of the passenger journey, including check-in, security, washrooms and arrivals, giving airports actionable insights into areas that matter most to travellers.
“The HappyOrNot units around the airport have proven to be a very effective and simple way to evaluate passengers’ experiences,” said Matt Roach, managing director of Exeter Airport.
“We know that procedures at an airport can be stressful, but our staff do their best to ease the journey for travellers and this shows in the consistently high positive ratings. I am very proud of the performance reflected in the responses, and the magnificent achievement of being in the top spot.”