New DfT and CAA survey reveals 85 per cent of UK air passengers are satisfied with airport security checks
Passenger satisfaction with airport security checks across the UK remains high but is showing early signs of strain, according to the latest survey released by the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The survey, which polled over 15,000 respondents at seven major airports—including Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester—found that 85 per cent of passengers were satisfied or very satisfied with their security screening experience in 2024. This marks only a slight fall from 87 per cent satisfaction reported in 2020.
The results come as UK airports continue the rollout of new security screening technology under the Next Generation Security Checkpoint (NGSC) initiative, though the impact of this new technology varied across locations.
Biggest Irritations: Queues & Liquids
While overall approval remains high, the aspects of security that caused the most dissatisfaction were clear:
Queuing time was the most frequently cited complaint, mentioned by 5 per cent of passengers.
Slow speed of the screening process and the restriction of liquids were the next biggest irritants, both cited by 3 per cent.
Despite the frustrations, an overwhelming 89 per cent of passengers agreed that any inconvenience caused by the security process was ultimately acceptable.
Passenger experience varied drastically across the airports surveyed:
London City Airport achieved the highest satisfaction score, with a notable 97 per cent of passengers satisfied or very satisfied with their experience.
Luton Airport recorded the lowest level of satisfaction, with only 69 per cent of passengers satisfied. Luton also saw the highest proportion of passengers who were actively dissatisfied or very dissatisfied (6 per cent), and the highest number who rated their experience as merely ‘OK’ (26 per cent).
Birmingham Takes Worst Queue Spot
The issue of queuing was most acute at Birmingham Airport, where 19 per cent of passengers cited queuing as the least satisfactory aspect of security screening—more than double the rate seen at any other airport.
This reflected real-world experience: 16 per cent of passengers at Birmingham reported queuing for more than 20 minutes, a proportion also more than double that recorded at any other surveyed airport. Overall, 56 per cent of passengers across the UK reported spending no more than five minutes queuing for security screening.
The DfT noted that satisfaction was most closely tied to efficiency, with the “fast speed of the screening process“ being the most satisfying aspect for passengers, cited by 25 per cent of respondents.
