Gatwick and Stansted airports have been named the worst in the UK for flight delays in 2024, according to new analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) statistics.
The research, conducted by flight reward experts using CAA data, revealed that passengers at these major UK airports experienced the longest average delays for their flights throughout the year.
CAA data from January to November 2024 shows average delays for Gatwick and Stansted regularly exceeded 25 minutes each month.
Manchester, Luton, Birmingham, Heathrow and Bristol airports were closely behind in the rankings, with average delays of over 18 minutes in 2024. However, there is good news for travelers flying from Liverpool, London City and East Midlands airports, with average delays now below 13 minutes.
CAA states on its website that unforeseen events such as severe weather conditions, technical problems, or other extraordinary circumstances beyond the control of the airport or airline may affect flight schedules. states. These disruptions do not necessarily reflect the long-term performance or reliability of the airline or airport.
Anton Radchenko, CEO of Airadvisor, said: “2024 has not been an easy year for airports and airlines. The global IT outage in July led to global travel chaos and There have been mass delays and cancellations at airports. Average delays at Gatwick and Stansted airports have soared to 35 minutes in July, a significant jump compared to the annual average of around 20 minutes.
“Airports are still navigating the post-Covid travel boom, which is seeing more people flying than ever before. As a result, new routes are being launched and airports are becoming busier as a result. Tarmac is more likely to experience delays and cancellations.
August proved to be a challenging month for Gatwick and Stansted, with average delay times escalating to 32 minutes and 26 minutes respectively.
In June, Manchester Airport suffered a power outage which caused major disruption to many flights. According to CAA figures, average delay time jumped to 27 minutes in June, overshooting the 2024 average of 19.2 minutes.
Weather phenomena other than airport control also wreaked havoc throughout the year.
Birmingham Airport faced challenges in the summer due to confusion over liquid restrictions, resulting in longer delays. CAA statistics revealed that average delays jumped to 25 minutes during the reporting period, far exceeding the typical delay time of 18.6 minutes.
A Manchester Airport spokesperson said: “Flight punctuality can be affected by a number of factors, most of which are outside the airport's control. These include adverse weather conditions, airline crew shortages, inbound These include things like flight delays and even continental air traffic control issues such as capacity limits and industrial measures.
“As such, implying a link between airports and delays is inherently misleading to passengers, but we regularly do this to promote ourselves and sell certain products and services. In fact, the vast majority of passengers leave Manchester Airport on time.
These views are shared by a spokesperson for Stansted Airport. He added: . ”
Average delay for each flight in 2024 (January to November)
Gatwick – 22 minutes Stansted – 19.5 minutes Manchester – 19.2 minutes Birmingham Airport – 18.9 minutes Luton – 18.2 Minuting – 18 minutes – 17.6 minutes – 17.4 minutes newcastle – 16.3 minutes – 14.3 minutes – 15.5 minutes – 15 minutes – 15 minutes -15 minutes AST International -13.8 minutes Liverpool – 13 minutes London City – 13 minutes East Midlands – 12.8 minutes
