It may be a smaller airport, but it holds quite the reputation for making a flying experience as seamless as possible with some of the UK’s lowest total delays and a quick security check-in
We all know the pain of arriving at the airport and having to brace yourself for long queues and waiting around before your flight. However, there’s one airport worth having on your radar where the process can take under just 15 minutes, according to a new study.
It’s not a London airport that’s topped the list, but instead East Midlands airport, which serves the likes of Derby, Nottingham and Leicester. While the airport may have made a number of aesthetic changes in recent years, improving the immigration hall and creating clearer wayfinding and a new lost property hub, it’s one key aspect that has travellers continuing to come back.
For most travellers, it’s the long security process that has them dreading any flight. With long and boring queues and the stress of accidentally leaving liquid in your bag, not to mention the humiliation of having to go barefoot if your shoes have been asked to be removed.
The process can be long and strenuous, but it seems East Midlands Airport has found a way to combat customers’ dissatisfaction whilst still providing a thorough security check.
The security hall has undergone a complete transformation, with ‘next-generation scanners’ that have helped to speed up the process even further. This means reportedly helping 99.7% of its customers are able to complete their pre-flight checks in under 15 minutes – an impressive feat for any airport.
Thanks to its small and simple size, it also experiences fewer delays compared to the likes of major London airports. Its on-time performance ranked it as the fourth lowest total delay across all UK airports last year, with an average delay of just 11 minutes 48 seconds.
It’s thought that this is consistent even in the ‘busiest early morning wave’ of flights, with a 90.4% ‘On Time Performance’ score for departures.
The airport’s Customer Services and Planning Director, Mike Grimes, said: “These fantastic scores show just how strongly our customers value the effortless experience we provide when they travel through East Midlands Airport. By all measures we have improved on the previous year and are consistently performing way above our targets.
“I’m really proud of all our dedicated staff who make this happen day in day out, from first impressions landside to the final moments in the terminal, whether supporting customers face-to-face or working behind the scenes. I hope that friends and family listen to the 71% of our customers who recommend us and also choose East Midlands as their easy way to get away.”
Although, for those that look forward to arriving well ahead of time before their flight to get the ultimate airport experience, shopping and dining, East Midlands Airport doesn’t quite have as much on offer as its rivals. Modest in its size, there are a number of eateries, a WHSmith, JD Sports and Accessorise, paired with the duty-free section, but it’s arguably not enough to fill hours of your time.
