The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has released the results of a survey into passengers’ experiences of security screening. Just over 14,000 respondents at five airports (Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Manchester and Stansted) were asked about their experiences throughout 2023 as part of a Civil Aviation Authority survey. The last time such statistical data was released was in 2020, covering results collected in 2019.
In 2023, the majority of passengers surveyed (87%) said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their experience of security screening. Of those who were not satisfied, aspects most cited were queuing, general organization, the slow screening process, restriction of liquids, and staff attitude and politeness.
Around half (52%) of passengers surveyed reported spending no more than five minutes queuing for security screening. Just over a third (37%) of passengers reported queuing for between six and 15 minutes; 11% reported spending over 15 minutes queuing.
Eighty-nine percent of passengers surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that any inconvenience caused by the security screening process was acceptable.
When broken down by airport, the statistics reveal that passengers at Heathrow had the highest levels of satisfaction, with 89% satisfied or very satisfied with their security screening experience. Passengers at Stansted had the lowest levels (82% satisfied or very satisfied). The highest proportion of dissatisfied or very dissatisfied passengers was reported at Manchester (5%), in particular among those traveling from Terminal 3, where 7% said they were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.
DfT said there was little difference in passenger satisfaction between those traveling for leisure or business, or between male and female passengers.
There were noticeable differences in queuing times between airports. The highest proportion of passengers who reported queuing times of no more than five minutes was at Gatwick (63%), and the lowest at Manchester (30%). At Manchester, 17% of passengers reported queuing for at least 20 minutes, compared with just 1% at Gatwick. DfT said queuing times were “substantially longer” at Manchester than at any of the other airports surveyed.
It is worth noting, however, that the number of passengers who reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their experience of security screening at Manchester was higher than in 2019.
Passengers have also reported satisfaction with the security screening process at airports in the USA. Read more about it here.