FlightsFinder Highlights UK's Worst Airports for Delays

As the summer holiday season reaches its peak, it’s important for travellers to make informed decisions – as being caught unawares by a delay can derail even the best-laid travel plans…

The travel experts at FlightsFinder.com are warning British travellers to be aware of the UK’s worst airports for delays as the great summer getaway continues. Based on a Press Association study of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data, London Gatwick tops the list, with passengers facing an average delay of 26 minutes and 54 seconds in 2023.

This can be a huge inconvenience for travellers, particularly those with tight layovers. As a rule, when it comes to layovers you should leave at least 60-90 minutes between domestic flights, and no less than two to three hours for international ones – but it’s easy to see how delays can eat into that time, with a real risk of missing a connection and start off the holidays in the worst possible way.

In second place is Luton Airport, with average delays of 22 minutes and 54 seconds. Close behind is Manchester Airport, with an average delay of 21 minutes and 54 seconds. Edinburgh and Birmingham airports round out the top five, with delays of 21 minutes and 48 seconds and 21 minutes and 30 seconds respectively.

The CAA study examined all scheduled and chartered departures from 22 commercial UK airports with at least 1,000 outbound flights in the past year. Notably, cancellations were excluded from this analysis.

Shahab Siddiqui, CEO of FlightsFinder, commented, “As families up and down the country gear up for their long-awaited summer holidays, it’s crucial to be aware of potential delays. Understanding which airports have the longest wait times can help travellers plan better, especially when travelling with young children. At FlightsFinder, our goal is to equip our customers with the best possible information to make their journeys smoother and more enjoyable.”

Following closely behind the top five are Bristol and Bournemouth airports, both averaging delays of 20 minutes and 24 seconds, placing them in joint sixth position – slightly below the average delay across all of UK airports, which was recorded at 20 minutes and 42 seconds last year.

London Heathrow, despite being the UK’s busiest airport, recorded a slightly lower average delay of 20 minutes, securing the eighth spot on the list. Newcastle Airport followed with an average delay of 19 minutes and 48 seconds, and Belfast International completed the top ten with delays averaging 19 minutes and 18 seconds. Missing the top ten by a handful of seconds is London Stansted, with an average delay of 19 minutes and six seconds.

In contrast to the top ten, Belfast City Airport boasted the best performance, with an average delay of just 12-and-a-half minutes.

For more information or to book a flight, visit: FlightsFinder.com/en-gb.