As millions of Europeans set off on their summer travels, new data reveals which airports are most likely to deliver a smooth journey – and which ones might test your patience. AirHelp, a passenger rights organisation, has just released its annual global airport ranking, assessing performance based on punctuality, passenger satisfaction and service quality. And, while major hubs like Paris Charles de Gaulle and London Gatwick failed to impress, several smaller European airports stood out for their reliability and customer care. Cape Town International Airport in South Africa ranked first overall, scoring 8.6 for punctuality and 8.7 for customer opinion to top a list of 250 international airports from 68 different countries. The best-performing airport in Europe overall was Bergen Flesland in Norway, which came 9th globally and topped European airports for punctuality. Other high scorers in Europe included Bilbao Airport in Spain's Basque region (16th), Bodø Airport (23rd) and Oslo Gardermoen (28th), also in Norway, and Reykjavik Keflavík in Iceland (30th). Despite ranking 130th overall, Luxembourg Airport scored 9.0 for customer opinion, putting it atop all other European airports in that category, while Amsterdam Schiphol (111th overall) scored highest in Europe for food and drinks, scoring 8.3. Meanwhile, and perhaps unsurprisingly, given recent air-traffic control strikes and criticism about the country's performance, France's best-scoring airport, Toulouse-Blagnac, ranked just 101st globally. Still, it topped the French list for the second year running, earning solid scores for punctuality and customer satisfaction, though it rated slightly lower for shopping and dining. In 181st, Paris Charles de Gaulle performed poorly across all metrics, with frequent delays and low customer ratings dragging down its score. London Gatwick ranked 235th, with low marks across the board. All three still outperformed Europe's worst airport, Rhodes Diagoras. The Greek island air hub scored a paltry 6.05, with a 5.8 for punctuality. That score put it in 249th, one spot above the world's worst by these metrics, TunisCarthage Airport. AirHelp's methodology gives the most weight – 60 per cent – to on-time performance, based on flights departing or arriving within 15 minutes of their scheduled time. Rhodes Diagoras' score of 5.8 for punctuality, for example, translates to 58 per cent of flights running on schedule. The remaining 40 per cent is split evenly between passenger feedback on airport staff, cleanliness and general experience, and services offered, such as restaurants and retail. The bulk of the data was gathered from multiple vendors and cross-referenced with statistics from government agencies, airports, flight-tracking vendors and historical resources. To gather user reviews, AirHelp surveyed travellers in more than 58 countries and gathered more than 13,500 unique airport ratings. The rankings cover only airports with a substantial number of international flights, using data collected between 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025. While delays and cancellations are often beyond an airport's control, the highest-performing airports tend to be those that combine operational efficiency with attentive service and clear communication. According to AirHelp's findings, travellers looking to reduce their stress this summer may want to opt for smaller regional airports in Scandinavia, where the odds of a smooth journey are markedly better than at the continent's biggest transport hubs. — Euronews
