UK's worst airports for flight delays revealed

The worst airports in the UK for flight delays have been revealed.

Manchester Airport came out on "top" of the rankings – on average, flights ran 19 and a half minutes behind schedule last year, according to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by the Press Association (PA).

Manchester, the third busiest in the country and the only one other than London's Heathrow with two runways, has at least secured a 30-second improvement compared to 2024.

It was used by 32 million passengers last year and is currently revamping its Terminal 3, having recently completed an extensive transformation of its Terminal 2.

A spokesperson for the airport said: "Punctuality is affected by factors that are outside of an airport's control.

"The two most significant factors contributing to delays in the last year have been industrial action affecting air traffic control in Europe and the weather.

"These were exacerbated by airspace restrictions above conflict zones, meaning airports with significant long-haul networks, like Manchester, were more significantly affected than others.

"As an industry, we are working collectively to achieve the best possible on-time departure rates while protecting flight schedules and avoiding the need for cancellations."

Birmingham Airport did not respond to a request for a comment, while Bournemouth also said the "majority" of flight delays were down to factors outside its control.

Read more: Your rights if your flight's delayed or cancelled

The analysis by PA took into account scheduled and chartered departures from the 23 commercial UK airports with at least 1,000 outbound flights last year, not including cancellations.

The average delay for departures was 14 minutes and 54 seconds, down from 18 minutes and 24 seconds in 2024.

Anna Bowles from the CAA urged the aviation industry to ensure that when delays do occur, passengers are "kept informed and given the care and support they are entitled to".

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