Our Review of Liverpool Airport (LPL)

Table of contents: Our Review of Liverpool Airport (LPL) Pros and Cons of Liverpool Airport (LPL) Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide) How we calculate On Time Performance Some Stats

Our Review of Liverpool Airport (LPL)

All the information featured on this page was compiled and written by David Enrich, a renowned expert in aviation and airport guides since 1999.

At Plan Your Trips, we have analyzed hundreds of airports around the world, gaining a clear understanding of what users expect when visiting an airport. With this know-how, we have created this guide, placing passengers at the forefront of everything, aiming to simplify and enhance the airport experience.

In this Guide, our goal is to present information in a manner that is both quick and reliable. Recognizing that passengers often have limited time and may be in a hurry, we strive to ensure that they do not waste time unnecessarily.

Another key focus of our guide is to highlight the strengths of the airport and also the weaknesses, and in some cases, offer recommendations to travelers. In alignment with this approach, we provide users with aggregated information on delays and on-time performance, analyzing both airlines and individual flights.

Other reviews

Liverpool John Lennon Airport generally receives good feedback for its speed, friendly staff, and compact layout, but opinions are polarized about cleanliness, facilities, and parking/drop-off charges. Taking both Google-style feedback and Skytrax reviews into account, a balanced overall score is around 7.5/10.

Sources and overall rating

Passenger opinions come from Skytrax (AirlineQuality) airport reviews and user-generated reviews on platforms that aggregate Google feedback and independent surveys such as Which?, as well as broader online review sites focused on Liverpool John Lennon Airport and its parking services. Skytrax user reviews describe Liverpool as a small, easy-to-use regional airport, while external review aggregators and consumer surveys show high satisfaction with security speed and staff but more criticism of parking policies and some facilities.

Main positive themes

Many travellers highlight fast check-in and security, often reporting very short queues, especially when not checking bags, and praising the efficiency of the new security area and scanners. Staff are frequently described as friendly, helpful, and “more pleasant than Manchester”, with several reviews calling Liverpool their preferred airport due to smoother processes and a relaxed, regional feel.

The airport’s compact, single-terminal layout is seen as a major advantage, making navigation easy and walking distances short, and some reviews appreciate the Aspire lounge and recent improvements in the departure lounge food and beverage offer. Consumer surveys in the UK have even ranked Liverpool among the top airports nationally, with particularly high scores for security and overall experience.

Main negative themes

A recurring criticism concerns cleanliness and general upkeep: several Skytrax reviewers mention that the terminal and toilets “don’t feel very clean” and that seating, eating areas, and overall comfort could be improved. Others complain that not all shops and restaurants are open at certain times, giving the airside area a limited or “tired” feel compared with larger competitors.

Parking and drop-off arrangements attract strong negative feedback: passengers describe high charges, confusing signage, and strict time limits, and many consider it unfair that taxis and private cars must pay to drop off or pick up with no short free period. Older reviews also report past problems with long security queues and pressure to buy fast-track, although more recent comments indicate that the security experience has since improved significantly.

Final score and justification

Overall rating: 7.5/10. This score reflects a generally positive passenger experience dominated by quick security, efficient processing, and friendly staff, plus the advantages of a compact, easy-to-use regional airport. The rating is held back by persistent issues around cleanliness perception, limited seating and retail at times, and unpopular, expensive parking and drop-off policies, which consistently lower satisfaction in online reviews despite strong operational performance.

Pros and Cons of Liverpool Airport (LPL)

Pros of Liverpool John Lennon Airport

Convenient Size and Layout: The airport’s single terminal design makes navigation simple and walking distances short, allowing for quick check-in, security, and boarding processes.
Excellent Regional Connectivity: LJLA offers direct access to a range of domestic and European destinations, supporting both business and leisure travel for Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire, and North Wales.
Efficient Security and Check-In: Recent upgrades, including new security scanners, have resulted in short queues and a smoother passenger experience, earning high marks in customer satisfaction surveys.
Economic Impact: The airport is a major employer and economic driver for the Liverpool City Region, supporting thousands of jobs and contributing significantly to the local economy.
Good Public Transport Access: LJLA is well-served by buses, shuttles, and connections to Liverpool South Parkway rail station, making it accessible for travelers without cars.

Cons of Liverpool John Lennon Airport

Limited Long-Haul and Hub Connectivity: The airport lacks direct flights to major global hubs like London Heathrow, which limits global connectivity and can be a disadvantage for business and inbound tourism.
Runway Limitations: The current runway length restricts the range of aircraft, limiting potential for long-haul services to destinations like the US, Middle East, or Asia without further investment.
Competition from Larger Airports: LJLA faces strong competition from larger airports in Manchester and the wider region, making it harder to attract new airlines and routes.
Terminal Capacity Constraints: While recent investments have improved facilities, further growth will require significant expansion of the terminal to accommodate more passengers and services in the future.
Access Costs for Some Travelers: The introduction of tolls on the Mersey crossings adds extra costs for passengers from North Wales and Cheshire, potentially making the airport less attractive for some users.

Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide)

Location & Overview:

Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL) is located about 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Liverpool city centre, serving over 5 million passengers annually. It’s a key gateway for North West England and North Wales, with a single, modern terminal named after the legendary Beatle, John Lennon.

Terminal & Facilities

Single Terminal: Three levels—Arrivals and check-in on the ground floor; Departures, shops, and restaurants on upper levels.

Airlines: Home to low-cost carriers like Ryanair and easyJet, with flights to over 60 European and UK destinations.

Facilities:

Free Wi-Fi, ATMs, currency exchange
Car hire desks, luggage wrapping, and storage
Aspire Lounge (paid access)
Duty-free, WHSmith, Boots, JD Sports, and souvenir shops
Food options: Starbucks, Upper Crust, Frankie & Benny’s, Burger King, Café Ritazza
Multi-faith prayer room, baby changing, accessible toilets, children’s play area

Transport

Buses: Airlink 500 and 86A/82A connect the airport to Liverpool city centre every 30 minutes; fares from £2–£5.
Trains: No direct station; Liverpool South Parkway (2.9 miles away) connects to national rail—take the 86A bus or a taxi to get there.
Taxis/Uber: Taxi rank outside terminal; city centre fares about £20. Uber and private transfers are also available.
Car Hire: Major brands (Avis, Hertz, Europcar, Enterprise) have desks in Arrivals.

Check-In, Security & Boarding

Check-in: Opens 2–3 hours before departure; most airlines close check-in 40 minutes before flight.
Security: Prepare liquids and electronics in advance. Fast Track security is available for a fee.
Boarding: Gates are a short walk from security due to the compact terminal layout.

Accessibility & Family Services

Accessibility: Step-free access, accessible toilets, sunflower lanyards, and special assistance available—book in advance if needed.
Family: Baby changing rooms, play area, and allowance for baby milk/food through security.

Other Essentials

Lost Property: Report at the information desk or via the airport website.
Hotels: Hampton by Hilton is opposite the terminal; Crowne Plaza, Premier Inn, and Travelodge are nearby.

Quick Facts:

Runway: 2,286 m (7,500 ft), single runway
Annual Passengers: 5+ million
Open: 24/7
Best For: Low-cost flights to UK & Europe, easy access, quick check-in

How we calculate On Time Performance

On various pages of our website, you will encounter a metric widely utilized in aviation and other forms of transportation known as OTP (On Time Performance). We believe that providing this metric assists passengers in planning their trips and exploring alternatives before purchasing their flight tickets.

We calculate the On Time Performance for all flights and airlines, when we have enough data to do so. In certain instances, it may not be feasible to accurately compute the On-Time Performance for a specific flight or airline due to inadequate or non-representative data, which could result in misleading conclusions.

Our calculation of On Time Performance and delay information solely relies on arrival times. This approach is chosen over calculating departure delays, as we consider arrival punctuality to be of primary concern to passengers.

The On Time Performance displayed on our website is calculated as follows:

On Time: Flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, or earlier. In the absence of data for a specific flight, we assume the flight arrives on time, to avoid penalizing airlines for data unavailability.
Moderate Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 15 to 30 minutes.
Significant Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 30 to 60 minutes.
Major Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay exceeding 60 minutes.
Average Delay: The average delay is calculated by considering flights that arrive early as having a delay of 0 minutes. Early arrivals do not contribute to reducing the average delay calculation