Understaffing and poor management mean Moscow’s Sheremetyevo II airport ranks among the worst in the world, according to the majority of respondents to a Russia Journal survey this week.

Of more than 600 people who responded by e-mail or fax, most said the main problem was lengthy lines for leaving the country, especially at peak periods. Indeed, most said the airport would be no worse and no better than many others if that problem were solved.

"The staff on duty at immigration are always efficient and polite," said Michel Perhirin, president of Raiffeisen Bank, echoing the view of other respondents who said the main problem is actually getting to the immigration desk.

"Getting to the desk can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 90 minutes," said one traveler who responded by e-mail and did not give his name. "But once you are actually there, the staff is efficient and processing never takes more than two or three minutes."

"You can spend up to two hours queuing," said Benedict Hopkins, who flies in and out of Moscow two to three times a month. He rated the airport as "very bad – even Sheremetyevo I is better."

Like many other respondents, Hopkins cited the checking-in procedure and boarding process as adequate, but said there is room for improvement in a whole host of other areas. "The airport itself is shabby, dirty, poorly lit and gives a bad impression," he said. "If we rate the airport to some third-world airports, it doesn't score too badly. If we rate it to European airports, it is definitely last."

Others highlighted a lack of services for sick and elderly passengers or nursing mothers, along with lack of seating in the arrivals hall and poor ventilation as being at the top of the list of things that need improvement.

Most respondents asked for their names to be withheld for fear of "reprisals." More than 50 percent of those who responded were Russian executives, and almost all rated the airport as among the worst they have ever used.

One irate businessman, Ander De Cort, said the authorities have underestimated the significance of the problem. "It’s a shame for Russia," he said. "Many things in Russia have improved significantly, but Sheremetyevo is a major exception. Unfortunately, it’s both the first and last impression that visitors have of the country, and that’s not good.

"It should be a top priority for improvement because it’s like a restaurant in that if it takes an hour to get your order and another hour to get your bill, you will never return, no matter how good the food and atmosphere."

Passengers noted that while exit lines are mostly a problem in the summer – when the procedure can take up to two hours – passport processing at arrivals is almost always a problem.

They suggested the problem was simply lack of staff manning the passport booths. Immigration officials contacted by The Russia Journal this week would not comment on why the majority of booths are usually closed, but put the blame on management. "If they gave us more space, we could put in more booths," said one official who would not give his name.

Some improvements would be easy, according to Michael Fodor, a partner with F-Squared Market Research. "For less than $100, I could improve Sheremetyevo 1,000 percent," he said. "I would buy a rope and corral the crowd at passport into one manageable queue like at every other airport in the civilized world. You might not get through any faster, but there would be a lot less aggravation from the horde of people pushing forward en masse."

Traffic management and parking at the airport could also be improved relatively easily, many said. One executive, who asked not to be named, echoed the comments of many when he said the taxi drivers hanging around the entrance are also a major headache.

"The airport administration should clean out all the taxi drivers hanging around, and remove the militia officers whose only job is to arrange neat parking for large luxury cars for a bonus or whatever that might be called," he said.

Another frequently raised issue was customs rules. "You never know how much money you can take in and out – it seems to change every week," said one British businessman who asked not to be named.

Sheremetyevo II could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts during the week. The airport’s Website, www.sheremetyevo-airport.ru, was last updated two years ago and does not provide any further information on the problem.

The immigration services, meanwhile, declined to give the number of employees they have at the airport. "It’s classified information," one official said.