Frankfurt is ranked the best large European airport in the 2004 Global Airport Satisfaction Index study by US consultants JD Power.
But the German airport, which topped the poll last year, comes only fifth overall after Hong Kong, Orlando, Denver and Dallas-Fort Worth.
The next ranked large European airport (with more than 30m passengers a year) is Amsterdam Schiphol which came 8th. London Heathrow, Paris CDG and Madrid Barajas were named, respectively, 18th, 20th and 21st. All scored below average marks.
There was little good news for Europe in the section for medium-sized airports (10m-30m passengers a year) with Manchester finishing highest at 19th.
Other European airports to be ranked were London Gatwick (25th), Barcelona (27th), Paris Orly (28th) and Rome Fiumicino (33rd). All European airports in this section again scored below average marks.
The Study is based on responses from more than 9,000 passengers who took a flight between October 2003 and November 2004. They were questioned on factors which included access to airport, check-in processes, airport facilities, baggage reclaim, and customs control.
One finding was that most passengers (59%) still check in at the main counter although it takes an average of 19 minutes.
The survey found only 18% used the self check in kiosks, 10% checked in at kerbside facilities and only 5% used the Internet.
“Time is a prime commodity in the travel industry, and is a major factor in influencing customer satisfaction with airports,” said Linda Hirneise, partner and executive director of travel industry research at JD Power.
“Even though faster options are often available to expedite the check-in process, passengers either aren't aware of them or just aren't yet comfortable using them.
“The check-in process has the greatest impact on overall airport satisfaction. Airports need to make sure these options are available to passengers and to continue to promote their time-saving benefits.”