Heathrow earns the MOST STRESSFUL airport award in Europe- Manchester MD steps down

Heathrow Airport Chaotic Passenger Facilitation

One of the foremost airports in Europe and the world over, situated in England, London Heathrow, has earned a not too cheering sobriquet as the MOST STRESSFUL airport to travel through among the airports in Europe.

No thanks to the exponential increase in passengers using the facility and others in the region since governments had begun gradual removal of travel restrictions.

The largely expunged travel ban had created a boom of travellers while most airports and airlines management are still grappling with the provision of trained workers in sufficient numbers for their safe and efficient operations.

The outcome of the data analysis indicated that Heathrow Airport clinched the top spot, the most stressful airport in Europe, closely followed by Dublin Airport in the second position while Manchester Airport landed in the third position.

The digital biosecurity against COVID-19 adopted by the public health department had created a lot of redundancies among the workforce which had compelled an appreciable number of airport workers to observe the compulsory off duty the system imposed on them.

The research firm reportedly conducted more than 10,000 online reviews from passengers. Also, about 2,500 tweets and hours of flight data were appraised among the airports in Europe.

The firm that conducted the survey, Digital PR Hub @ Legacy Communications, analyzed passengers’ social media reactions to delays, cancellations, and lack of attention from airport staff.

The Chief Executive of Digital PR Hub, Claire O’Grady, said other indices used were the annual number of passengers, rate of delays, social media sentiment and uncomfortable travelling experience including the passengers’ reviews were among the factors considered to figure out an overall “stress score”.

Another London airport, Gatwick, which ostensibly had been struggling to deal with the passenger surge for about three weeks leading to Easter, was named the seventh most stressful airport to travel through in Europe.

The only London airport that landed in the top fifteen in passenger satisfaction reviews for WiFi, check-in and security was Heathrow with a score of 78 per cent.

Also on negative sentiment, the survey ranked Heathrow the number one in negative sentiment by social media analysis with a score of -263.

Gatwick however found itself in the third place for overall flight delays with a score of 96.17, the survey revealed.

A striking observation also noted was that if the trauma passengers experienced from delays and cancellations during this Easter weekend was considered, the ranking no doubt would have been extremely appalling.

Recall that since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic when governments shut down travel, Heathrow just recorded its busiest month with 4.2 million passengers in March 2022, which is more than double what was recorded same period last year.

The public statement by the management of Heathrow indicated its resources in humans and materials were being stretched.

The spokesperson for the airport said the management was “working closely with airlines and ground handlers to make sure this increase in demand can be met while keeping passengers safe”

MORAL SUASION

Consequent to this survey report by an independent private Public Relations firm, the management of Dublin Airport had rendered a public apology after being named the ‘second-most stressful’ airport in Europe.

The PR firm is headquartered in Dublin yet, no local rivalry, no beefing or tantrums were thrown at one another as common in some other climes.

Also, Dublin Airport’s Group Head of Communications, Kevin Cullinane, said: “We apologize for the recent delays. We benchmark ourselves on exceptional customer service and we know we have let our customers and ourselves down in recent weeks.

Cullinane reminded the airport customers that, “Just two years ago, pre-Covid, Dublin Airport was named one of the best airports in the world in a global ranking of passenger experience” by Airport Council International, ACI, and promised the airport will sooner than later return to that enviable height again.

Managing Director of Manchester Airport, the third-placed airport in the ranking, had stepped down last week due to the persistent missing of flights by passengers because of long security queues.

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