Packed absorption columns are used in numerous industrial applications. For the design and modelling of these apparatuses, knowledge of mass transfer properties (effective interfacial area ae, as well as liquid-side and gas-side volumetric mass transfer coefficients kLae and kGae) of used packings is required. The experimental determination of these parameters at large test rigs is associated with high investment and operating costs. The ability to accurately extrapolate parameters determined at small plants to plants of larger scale would therefore be of great economical interest. In this work, measurement methods for the determination of mass transfer properties were implemented using suitable mass transfer systems at two test rigs of different column diameters (ID 150 and 422 mm). These are the absorption of CO2 or SO2 from air into solutions of sodium hydroxide in order to determine ae, respectively kGae, and the desorption of CO2 from water for the determination of kLae. By utilising these methods of measurement, four packing geometries were characterized at both test rigs. A comparison of experimental results to literature data demonstrated the comparability of own measurements to those of other researchers. Afterwards the different packing geometries were compared to each other based on determined mass transfer properties. Ultimately, a cross-plant evaluation regarding deviations was carried out. Concerning interfacial areas ae, negative deviations up to 25% occurred at the smaller test rig in relation to the larger one. Gas-side volumetric mass transfer coefficients kGae are slightly increased for packings examined at the larger test rig. Regarding the experimental results of liquid-side volumetric mass transfer coefficients kLae, no clear influence of column diameter can be determined. The findings of this work on the effect of column diameter represent a contribution to mass transfer parameter determination at small test rigs. Additionally, experimental data generated in this work may be used for design and simulation of columns using the examined packings.