The latest airport satisfaction survey by Vliegveldinfo.nl has found that Zurich is the highest-rated airport in Europe. While the largest airport in Switzerland was ranked first, the airports in Geneva and Basel found themselves way down in the bottom half of the top 100.

Airport Satisfaction Survey 2022

To create the ranking, Vliegveldinfo.nl - a Dutch airport information website - analysed the average Google review score of the 100 busiest airports in Europe. If two airports are given the same average rating, then whoever had the highest passenger numbers in 2019 takes the higher spot.

While the reason for good Google reviews varied, Vliegveldinfo.nl found that airports with fast internet, clean toilets, a high number of power sockets and a varied selection of restaurants generally rated higher. Flight-side operations like short connection times, security waits and walking distances were also praised highly.

Vliegveldinfo.nl noted that airports across Europe have been struggling with the return of higher passenger numbers after the end of most COVID restrictions. This manifested itself in longer queues at security, flight cancellations and massive delays at some airports such as Amsterdam Schiphol - perhaps part of the reason why it ranked 39th on the list. 

Zurich rated the best airport in Europe in 2022

While it may have been beset by bags piling up during the summer, and a person breaking into the airport and driving on the taxiway, Zurich Airport remains one of the world’s favourite airports. With a score of 4,4 out of 5 and the highest number of passengers out of the airports with the same rating, Zurich was ranked first, ahead of Athens, Porto, Izmir and Astana.

Zurich was praised for its cleanliness, short walking distances and the speed of security and flight transfers. “Three words: efficient, efficient and efficient”, were the thoughts of one reviewer. This is perhaps unsurprising, as Zurich was recently named the ninth-best airport in the world by Skytrax and the best in Europe by the Global Travel Awards.

The rest of the top 10 was filled with holiday airports in Spain, Cyprus and other top destinations. At the very bottom of the list were airports in Italy, Belgium, Greece, France, the United Kingdom and even Germany, where Berlin Brandenburg Airport was ranked the fifth worst airport in Europe. The worst airport in Europe in 2022 was found to be Bordeaux, with an average score of 2,6 out of five.

Basel and Geneva struggle in 2022 airport ranking

Unfortunately, Zurich's high score could not be replicated at other Swiss airports, with Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Airport scoring 3,8 out of five to place 68th in the ranking, just ahead of the airport in Eindhoven. While generally well-rated, more recent reviews have criticised the airport for its size, cleanliness and the shortage of workers at passport control.

Geneva also faired poorly in the ranking, placing behind Paris Charles de Gaulle in 71st with a rating of 3,7 out of five. Once again, while most customers described a positive experience, others were critical of long wait times at peak periods.

The 10 best airports in Europe in 2022

In all, here are the 10 highest-rated airports in Europe in 2022:

1. Zurich Airport (4,4)
2. Athens Airport (4,4)
3. Porto Airport (4,4)
4. Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport (4,4)
5. Astana Airport (4,4)
6. Helsinki Airport (4,3)
7. Alicante Airport (4,3)
8. Larnaca Airport (4,3)
9. Malta Airport (4,3)
10. Gdansk Airport (4,3)

For more information about the ranking, check out the website of Vliegveldinfo.nl (in Dutch).