Gatwick ranks in top ten UK airports for security and passport checks ahead of half-term

Gatwick Airport is one of the top ten UK airports whose security screening and passport checks get the most praise from passengers, according to new research.

Industrial automation parts supplier CJS Automation carried out the research ahead of the October half-term.

CJS Automation. has found that Gatwick Airport is one of the ten UK airports whose security screening and passport checks get the most praise from passengers. Photo: Eddie Mitchell

placeholder image — CJS Automation. has found that Gatwick Airport is one of the ten UK airports whose security screening and passport checks get the most praise from passengers. Photo: Eddie Mitchell

The company found that Gatwick Airport airport had 29 positive verdicts, eight negative verdicts and four mixed verdicts. It also found that the airport’s positive share was 71 per cent, compared with about 62 per cent across the full study.

Johnathan Craddock, director at CJS Automation (www.cjsautomation.com), said: “Most people judge an airport on how long it takes to get from the front door to the departure lounge. Reviews like these show the new equipment is making a difference for a lot of travellers.”

CJS Automation found that Heathrow Airport had 24 positive verdicts from 39 (62 per cent), while London City Airport had 75 positive verdicts from 96 (78 per cent). The company’s comparison was made with separate review samples, not like-for-like passenger surveys.

CJS Automation collected 23,453 Google reviews from the main listings of 27 UK airports on October 15, 2026. The analysis kept 20,674 reviews dated from October 15, 2024, to October 15, 2026. Keyword-based rules identified 1,579 reviews with a clear positive, negative or mixed view of security screening or passport checks.

These are the ten airports with the highest positive shares, according to CJS Automation’s research:

1. Cardiff Airport, 85 per cent positive (47 of 55 verdicts)

2. George Best Belfast City Airport, 85 per cent positive (56 of 66 verdicts)

3. London Southend Airport, 83 per cent positive (33 of 40 verdicts)

4. Cornwall Airport Newquay, 82 per cent positive (28 of 34 verdicts)

5. Newcastle International Airport, 80 per cent positive (61 of 76 verdicts)

6. London City Airport, 78 per cent positive (75 of 96 verdicts)

7. Southampton Airport, 74 per cent positive (26 of 35 verdicts)

8. Gatwick Airport, 71 per cent positive (29 of 41 verdicts)

9. Bournemouth Airport, 69 per cent positive (45 of 65 verdicts)

10. Liverpool John Lennon Airport, 68 per cent positive (50 of 73 verdicts)

Visit www.cjsautomation.com.