‘For the third year in a row this low-cost carrier hub takes the best airport crown’ is the opening line for Doncaster Sheffield Airport’s (DSA) entry in the 2019 ‘Best and Worst UK Airports’ report carried out by Which? Magazine.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) is celebrating topping the Which? Magazine Best and Worst UK Airports survey for the third time – and its fifth appearance in the top five. The survey measured 6,237 separate airport experiences remarking that ‘a staggering 97% of its passengers would recommend Doncaster Sheffield, praising its personable and helpful staff’. Other areas of note were ‘accessible parking (rated favourably by respondents) coupled with short or non-existent security and passport control queues create a stress-free journey.’
Robert Hough, Chairman of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said: “We’re proud to be judged the UK and the North’s best airport, this is great recognition of the exceptional customer service offered by every single member of the team. We have always set out to deliver a top-class passenger experience that people can’t get at any other airport. Lengthy queues, disruption and hassle are not what people should experience when at an airport.
“We’ve enjoyed a strong performance this year with more routes announced than any other airport in the UK. Looking towards 2020 we will be focussing our efforts in delivering the next stage of our Masterplan, which has already received overwhelming support, from our local contribution, to the national level impact we can make with via a simple rail connection into the East Coast Mainline.”
The poll cemented DSA as Yorkshire’s favourite airport, scoring 86% overall. DSA received five-star ratings for queues at security and passport control and a four-star rating for staff, seating and loos. The Which? Award comes on the back of another great year with passenger numbers predicted to grow to 1.45 million in 2019/20, with more new destinations for any UK airport since August 2018 including two new long-haul destinations – Sanford, Florida and Cancun, Mexico.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport has also recently been rated the best UK airport and in the top ten European airports for the last year by a leading global airport passenger service and benchmarking survey, The Airport Council International’s Airport Service Quality survey.
Which? Travel’s Naomi Leach said:
“It is clear that smaller airports are generally outperforming their larger counterparts with seamless security checks and friendly staff making the biggest impression with flyers.“So if you have the luxury of choice when it comes to which airport you fly from, choose Doncaster Sheffield over Leeds Bradford, Southend over Luton, Edinburgh over Aberdeen and Belfast City over Belfast International for a smoother start to your trip.”
Creating a stress-free journey is high on the agenda for Ian Smith, Director of Commercial and Passenger Experience at DSA, he said: “This third consecutive win in such a prestigious publication is validation of the commitment of the whole team to deliver Easy, Fast and Friendly service for our customers for the whole of their airport journey. From parking, to check-in, to our retail and hospitality offer, it is all geared towards providing a great experience for the customer. Another win is a fantastic testament to the team and the great job that they are doing and gives us great confidence in further expansion and welcoming more customers through our doors to enjoy great service, and easy travel.”
