Passengers travelling from Leeds Bradford Airport faced average delays of 20 minutes last year, new data has shown.
According to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by the PA news agency, the Yorkshire airport ranked 13th out of 26 for average delays. Birmingham had the worst record, 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.
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The analysis took into account all scheduled and chartered departures. Cancelled flights were not included. The average across all airports was 23 minutes.
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.
May and June were the worst months for flight reliability in 2022 as the aviation sector failed to recruit and train enough staff to cope with a surge in demand for holidays. Rory Boland, editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said: “Your choice of airport shouldn’t make or break your trip, but for too many travellers last year that was sadly their experience.
“A repeat of last year’s chaos cannot be allowed to stand again, and airports and airlines must ensure they’re working together to ensure they can deliver their summer schedules as promised, while the Government must urgently grant the CAA the powers it needs to hold the industry to account.
“With at least some level of disruption sadly probable as we head into another busy travel season, airports’ delay records are something some travellers may well want to take into consideration, even if that involves travelling slightly further from home.”
CAA head of consumer Anna Bowles said: “Our data tells us that too many passengers faced disappointing levels of delays across UK airports last year. It is important consumers experience a high-quality service from both airlines and airports this year.
“We expect airlines to proactively provide passengers with information about their rights when flights are disrupted.”
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)
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