In short: in 2025, 72.7% of flights at UK airports were on time (within 15 minutes), 0.55% – about 10,454 flights – were 3 or more hours late, and 1.04% were cancelled. Blue Islands had the highest share of 3-hour delays among large airlines, Blue Islands the highest cancellation rate.
The UK in 2025
- Flights operated
- 1,910,536
- On time (≤ 15 min late)
- 72.7%
- 3 hours or more late
- 0.55%
- Cancelled
- 1.04%
- Average delay
- 15.1 min
2025, at UK airports
(72.7%)
1 in 182 flights ·
20,083 flights ·
UK average 15.1 min
Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority punctuality statistics 2025 – departures and arrivals combined, measured against the schedule at the UK airport. How we use this data
Airlines: 3-hour delays and cancellations
Airlines with at least 10,000 flights at UK airports in 2025, sorted by the share of flights 3 hours or more late.
| Airline | Flights | On time | 1 h+ late | 3 h+ late | Cancelled | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Islands | 10,352 | 65.5% | 13.4% | 2.04% | 4.17% | 25.1 min |
| American Airlines | 15,668 | 73.8% | 7.8% | 1.89% | 2.78% | 22.3 min |
| United Airlines | 15,364 | 75.0% | 7.9% | 1.63% | 1.88% | 18.1 min |
| Aurigny | 10,728 | 73.8% | 7.6% | 1.51% | 3.33% | 17.6 min |
| TUI Airways | 61,607 | 59.2% | 8.5% | 0.83% | 0.14% | 23.4 min |
| Wizz Air | 57,887 | 76.8% | 6.7% | 0.82% | 0.34% | 14.7 min |
| Qatar Airways | 11,735 | 79.4% | 3.1% | 0.68% | 0.42% | 11.3 min |
| Aer Lingus | 70,111 | 74.1% | 5.6% | 0.65% | 2.64% | 14.0 min |
| Jet2 | 122,895 | 67.4% | 7.0% | 0.58% | 0.18% | 18.3 min |
| Ryanair | 336,708 | 70.1% | 6.9% | 0.53% | 0.27% | 16.5 min |
| Loganair | 55,378 | 78.6% | 4.7% | 0.53% | 3.07% | 11.7 min |
| easyJet | 390,798 | 72.6% | 6.2% | 0.51% | 0.79% | 15.1 min |
| Air France | 13,194 | 68.9% | 6.3% | 0.45% | 1.39% | 16.1 min |
| British Airways | 351,049 | 76.7% | 4.3% | 0.37% | 1.23% | 12.6 min |
| Virgin Atlantic | 25,407 | 81.5% | 4.0% | 0.36% | 1.36% | 10.2 min |
| Vueling | 23,391 | 75.0% | 5.0% | 0.33% | 0.78% | 13.0 min |
| Emirates | 13,970 | 74.9% | 2.9% | 0.33% | 0.32% | 11.7 min |
| KLM | 41,063 | 69.8% | 5.3% | 0.29% | 2.56% | 15.1 min |
| Turkish Airlines | 12,616 | 75.5% | 3.0% | 0.21% | 0.58% | 11.4 min |
| Norwegian | 13,587 | 78.7% | 3.1% | 0.17% | 0.69% | 10.3 min |
| Eurowings | 13,155 | 73.5% | 4.3% | 0.13% | 1.11% | 12.9 min |
| Lufthansa | 26,933 | 74.0% | 3.0% | 0.12% | 1.45% | 11.8 min |
| SAS | 14,853 | 84.7% | 2.0% | 0.11% | 1.02% | 7.4 min |
| SWISS | 14,188 | 66.8% | 3.6% | 0.05% | 1.38% | 14.3 min |
Airports
UK airports with at least 10,000 flights, sorted by the share of flights 3 hours or more late.
| Airport | Flights | On time | 3 h+ late | Cancelled | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jersey | 15,872 | 74.3% | 1.13% | 1.57% | 16.8 min |
| Southampton | 15,713 | 74.6% | 0.92% | 3.29% | 15.6 min |
| Manchester | 194,144 | 64.5% | 0.80% | 0.96% | 19.8 min |
| Leeds Bradford | 32,120 | 73.6% | 0.68% | 1.22% | 15.0 min |
| Belfast City (George Best) | 27,491 | 78.0% | 0.63% | 2.30% | 12.2 min |
| London Luton | 103,370 | 73.4% | 0.60% | 0.35% | 15.1 min |
| London Gatwick | 259,335 | 70.0% | 0.59% | 0.82% | 16.8 min |
| Aberdeen | 27,263 | 80.4% | 0.58% | 3.40% | 10.8 min |
| Bristol | 72,008 | 70.3% | 0.55% | 0.61% | 16.2 min |
| Belfast International | 45,244 | 78.7% | 0.54% | 0.51% | 12.7 min |
| Newcastle | 38,598 | 72.5% | 0.54% | 0.76% | 15.2 min |
| Birmingham | 90,491 | 68.0% | 0.53% | 0.94% | 17.8 min |
| Liverpool John Lennon | 38,397 | 81.0% | 0.52% | 0.79% | 11.1 min |
| London Heathrow | 475,582 | 76.8% | 0.49% | 1.32% | 12.8 min |
| London Stansted | 179,551 | 69.7% | 0.46% | 0.31% | 16.3 min |
| Edinburgh | 117,237 | 71.4% | 0.44% | 1.08% | 15.3 min |
| East Midlands | 24,682 | 75.0% | 0.43% | 0.12% | 13.9 min |
| Glasgow | 65,973 | 77.4% | 0.41% | 1.76% | 12.1 min |
| London City | 47,493 | 76.4% | 0.20% | 1.54% | 11.9 min |
Routes
Most 3-hour-plus delays (routes with 2,000+ flights)
| Route | Flights | 3 h+ late | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow – New York | 6,408 | 1.79% | 2.05% |
| London Luton – Tirana | 2,371 | 1.77% | 0.25% |
| London Heathrow – Jeddah | 2,075 | 1.77% | 1.43% |
| London Heathrow – Delhi | 5,457 | 1.67% | 1.02% |
| London Heathrow – Dallas | 3,378 | 1.59% | 2.62% |
| London Heathrow – Charlotte | 2,096 | 1.55% | 4.25% |
| London Heathrow – Chicago | 5,576 | 1.52% | 2.42% |
| London Heathrow – Washington | 3,882 | 1.28% | 2.22% |
| London Heathrow – Johannesburg | 2,151 | 1.24% | 1.15% |
| London Heathrow – Toronto | 4,286 | 1.23% | 1.97% |
| London Heathrow – Houston | 2,687 | 1.17% | 1.83% |
| Manchester – Palma de Mallorca | 4,134 | 1.16% | 0.24% |
| Manchester – Belfast | 2,841 | 1.16% | 4.28% |
| Leeds Bradford – Palma de Mallorca | 2,097 | 1.14% | 0.43% |
| Manchester – Barcelona | 3,417 | 1.11% | 0.67% |
Most cancellations (routes with 2,000+ flights)
| Route | Flights | Cancelled | 3 h+ late |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow – Helsinki | 3,832 | 6.60% | 0.19% |
| Leeds Bradford – Belfast | 2,223 | 4.63% | 0.86% |
| Belfast City (George Best) – Leeds | 2,227 | 4.46% | 0.90% |
| Manchester – Belfast | 2,841 | 4.28% | 1.16% |
| London Heathrow – Charlotte | 2,096 | 4.25% | 1.55% |
| Belfast City (George Best) – Birmingham | 3,480 | 4.21% | 0.69% |
| Belfast City (George Best) – Edinburgh | 2,155 | 4.14% | 0.79% |
| Edinburgh – Belfast | 2,154 | 4.10% | 0.85% |
| Birmingham – Belfast | 3,481 | 4.05% | 0.69% |
| Aberdeen – Amsterdam | 3,332 | 4.00% | 0.18% |
| London Heathrow – Brussels | 4,991 | 3.29% | 0.17% |
| Belfast City (George Best) – Manchester | 2,837 | 2.91% | 1.10% |
| London Heathrow – Dallas | 3,378 | 2.62% | 1.59% |
| Leeds Bradford – Amsterdam | 2,160 | 2.61% | 0.63% |
| London Gatwick – Lisbon | 3,196 | 2.47% | 1.00% |
All 568 UK routes with 1,000+ flights
How we calculated this
We used the CAA’s annual “full analysis” file for 2025, which lists every reporting airport, destination and airline with the number of flights, cancellations and the share of flights in each delay band. We added up flights and weighted every percentage by the number of flights, grouped airline operating companies under their brand (for example British Airways, BA CityFlyer and BA Euroflyer as British Airways; Aer Lingus and Emerald Airlines as Aer Lingus) and counted the 181–360 minute and 360+ minute bands as “3 hours or more late”. Cancellation rates are cancelled flights divided by operated plus cancelled flights. Full details: methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Which UK airline had the most delays in 2025?
Among airlines with at least 10,000 flights at UK airports, Blue Islands had the highest share of flights 3 hours or more late (2.04%), and TUI Airways the lowest on-time rate (59.2%). Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority.
Which UK airline cancelled the most flights in 2025?
Blue Islands cancelled 4.17% of its planned flights at UK airports, the highest rate among airlines with at least 10,000 flights.
How many UK flights were delayed by 3 hours or more?
About 10,454 of 1,910,536 flights (0.55%, 1 in 182) at the 25 reporting UK airports were 3 hours or more late in 2025, and 20,083 flights were cancelled (1.04%).
Does a delay in these statistics mean compensation was due?
No. The CAA measures departures and arrivals against the schedule at the UK airport. Compensation depends on the arrival delay at your final destination and on the cause: the airline does not pay if it proves extraordinary circumstances. The figures show how often the 3-hour threshold is crossed, not how many claims succeed.
Sources
- UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 – UK Civil Aviation Authority
- Methodology – EU261 Flight Delay
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