Budget airline Wizz Air was the worst airline for flight delays in 2021, new figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) show.
The average delay to a Wizz Air flight was 14 minutes and 24 seconds behind schedule last year, according to the CAA data, which recorded the most and least punctual airlines in the UK.
Second worst was Tui, with an average delay of 13 minutes and 18 seconds to its flights, followed by British Airways at an average of 12 minutes and 42 seconds late.
Virgin Atlantic came in fourth place with an average delay of 12 minutes.
Two of Wizz Air’s “no frills” competitors, Ryanair and easyJet, had some of the best records for punctuality in 2021.
The analysis of average delay times for 14 operators with flights to and from the UK saw Aer Lingus with the shortest average wait time for passengers - three minutes and 12 seconds.
Meanwhile, easyJet had the second shortest average delay time, at four minutes and 36 seconds, and Ryanair was third most punctual with an average delay of six minutes and six seconds.
The average delay for all airlines analysed was 8.5 minutes per flight.
Punctuality across the aviation industry in 2021 was better than before the Covid-19 pandemic due to the reduction in flights caused by travel restrictions.
But the situation has deteriorated this year, with staff shortages causing major problems for several airports and airlines, leading to tens of thousands of flights being cancelled.
The editor of Which? Travel, Guy Hobbs, said that flight delays had been “far worse for many travellers this summer.
“Holidaymakers have faced a barrage of disruption over the last few months, and these latest figures only serve to underline the need for urgent reform of the travel industry.
“The government must drop plans to slash passenger compensation for delayed and cancelled domestic flights.”
A Wizz Air spokesperson told The Independent: “At Wizz Air, we do everything possible to ensure that passengers reach their destination on time and with minimal delay. We invest heavily into time performance, which is key to our ultra-efficient business model.
“We recognise that any delay is regrettable, however the fact that delays are on average under 15 minutes for all UK airlines, following one of the greatest existential crises to ever impact the industry, is no small feat.
“We are committed to constantly reviewing and refining processes to mitigate these issues and we are confident in seeing an overall improvement in the on-time performance of our UK routes.”
The Independent has contacted Tui and British Airways for comment.
