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Worst UK airport for delays revealed – check the full ranking

Worst UK airport for delays revealed – check the full ranking


Birmingham airport was the worst in the UK for flight delays for a second year in a row, an investigation has found.

Departures from the West Midlands airport were half an hour behind schedule on average in 2022, according to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by the PA news agency.

That was more than twice as long as the previous year, when it was also ranked last for punctuality.

The airport said it is “running smoothly” this year.

Doncaster Sheffield – which closed in November – and Manchester airports had the joint second poorest punctuality records in 2022, with an average delay of 29 minutes.

They were followed by Luton (28 minutes), Gatwick (27 minutes) and Bristol (26 minutes) airports.

East Midlands airport had the best performance, with an average delay of just 13 minutes.

The average across all airports was 23 minutes.

Breakdown of airport flight delay figures

This is the full ranking of UK airports based on flight punctuality in 2022. Airports are ordered from the longest average delay per departing flight to the shortest (duration in brackets).

1. Birmingham (30 minutes)

=2. Manchester (29 minutes)

=2. Doncaster Sheffield (29 minutes)

4. Luton (28 minutes)

5. Gatwick (27 minutes)

6. Bristol (26 minutes)

=7. Cardiff (24 minutes)

=7. Edinburgh (24 minutes)

9. Heathrow (22 minutes)

=10. Newcastle (21 minutes)

=10. Isle of Man (21 minutes)

=10. Aberdeen (21 minutes)

=13. Leeds Bradford (20 minutes)

=13. Southend (20 minutes)

=15. Glasgow (19 minutes)

=15. Stansted (19 minutes)

=15. Southampton (19 minutes)

=15. Bournemouth (19 minutes)

=19. London City (17 minutes)

=19. Jersey (17 minutes)

21. Belfast International (16 minutes)

=22. Liverpool John Lennon (15 minutes)

=22. Belfast City (15 minutes)

=24. Exeter (14 minutes)

=24. Teesside (14 minutes)

26. East Midlands (13 minutes)

The analysis took into account all scheduled and chartered departures. Cancelled flights were not included.

When flights are significantly delayed, airlines are required under consumer laws to provide passengers with assistance, which can include refreshments, a means of communication and accommodation if required.

If the cause of disruption is under an airline’s control, passengers are also due compensation of up to £520 depending on the length of the delay and the distance of the flight.

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