Ryanair, Europe's largest low fares airline, today (1 Dec) rejected the awards given to London Heathrow Airport and Manchester Airport at the recent British Travel Awards.
Ryanair questioned how Heathrow Airport could be given the "Best UK Airport" award in the year in which it lost over 28,000 passengers' bags and forced the cancellation of over 700 flights as a result of the mismanagement of Terminal 5.
Ryanair also questioned the silver medal awarded to Manchester Airport which has suffered a significant fall in passenger traffic.
Speaking today, Ryanair's Head of Sales & Marketing Lesley Kane, said:
"How can Heathrow Airport and Manchester Airport be recognised as the Best UK Airports for 2008? In March this year, Heathrow Terminal 5 opened with the cancellation of over 700 flights and the loss of over 28,000 bags; clearly not the signs of an award-winning airport.
"The runner-up award went to Manchester Airport, an airport with declining passenger traffic and job losses on the horizon. Taking these facts into account, it's ludicrous to give Heathrow and Manchester any kind of award apart from booby prize!"
It would be nice to see which airport Ryanair thinks should have won the award.