In short: Flights from EU airports to the UK are covered by EU261 with any airline; flights from outside Europe only on UK or EU airlines. Departures from the UK are covered by UK261 (£220–£520). 28 UK airports are in our data.
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Airports in the United Kingdom
| Airport | Passengers 2024* | ATFM delay per arrival 2025 | Main cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow (LHR) | 32,206,844 | 1.51 min | weather (87%) |
| London Gatwick (LGW) | 30,677,193 | 1.33 min | weather (64%) |
| London Stansted (STN) | 25,562,054 | 0.26 min | weather (61%) |
| Manchester (MAN) | 22,120,364 | 1.11 min | aerodrome capacity (66%) |
| London Luton (LTN) | 12,694,105 | 0.33 min | weather (84%) |
| Birmingham (BHX) | 8,795,781 | 0.33 min | ATC staffing (96%) |
| Edinburgh (EDI) | 8,432,096 | 0.58 min | equipment (ATC) (53%) |
| Bristol (BRS) | 7,969,537 | 0.04 min | weather (76%) |
| East Midlands (EMA) | 3,549,852 | 0.07 min | accident/incident (55%) |
| Glasgow (GLA) | 3,480,445 | 0.00 min | aerodrome capacity (100%) |
| Leeds Leeds Bradford (LBA) | 3,375,533 | – | – |
| Liverpool (LPL) | 3,360,118 | – | – |
| Newcastle (NCL) | 3,222,021 | 0.59 min | ATC staffing (97%) |
| London London City (LCY) | 2,501,938 | 0.24 min | weather (100%) |
| Belfast Belfast International (BFS) | 1,756,463 | 0.00 min | – |
| Bournemouth (BOH) | 635,698 | – | – |
| Aberdeen (ABZ) | 470,249 | 0.02 min | weather (61%) |
| Cardiff (CWL) | 329,007 | – | – |
| Glasgow Glasgow Prestwick (PIK) | 281,108 | – | – |
| Southampton (SOU) | 192,376 | 0.00 min | – |
| Norwich (NWI) | 122,001 | – | – |
| Grimsby, Lincolnshire (HUY) | 105,446 | – | – |
| Inverness (INV) | 100,085 | – | – |
| Teesside (MME) | 99,470 | – | – |
| Exeter (EXT) | – | – | – |
| Belfast George Best Belfast City (BHD) | – | 0.00 min | ATC staffing (100%) |
| London Southend (SEN) | – | – | – |
| Derry (LDY) | – | 0.00 min | – |
* Passengers on routes reported to Eurostat (both directions); UK airports no longer report to Eurostat – see the CAA data on each airport page.
Busiest domestic routes
Punctuality of the busiest routes in 2025, from UK Civil Aviation Authority data (departures from UK airports).
| Route | Flights | On time | 3h+ late | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow – Edinburgh | 7,725 | 77.2% | 0.17% | 1.45% |
| Edinburgh – London | 7,723 | 78.1% | 0.17% | 1.53% |
| Glasgow – London | 7,082 | 81.2% | 0.08% | 1.57% |
| London Heathrow – Glasgow | 7,072 | 81.0% | 0.08% | 1.56% |
| Manchester – London | 5,099 | 74.2% | 0.19% | 1.07% |
| London Heathrow – Manchester | 5,096 | 75.0% | 0.19% | 1.07% |
| London Heathrow – Aberdeen | 4,696 | 80.6% | 0.27% | 2.04% |
| Aberdeen – London | 4,695 | 81.5% | 0.25% | 2.37% |
| London Heathrow – Belfast | 4,520 | 82.8% | 0.17% | 1.35% |
| Belfast City (George Best) – London | 4,518 | 82.9% | 0.20% | 1.33% |
| London Stansted – Edinburgh | 4,356 | 73.1% | 0.57% | 0.48% |
| Edinburgh – London | 4,350 | 74.4% | 0.53% | 0.46% |
| London Gatwick – Guernsey | 4,235 | 72.9% | 1.09% | 1.76% |
| London City – Edinburgh | 4,128 | 80.3% | 0.19% | 1.31% |
| Edinburgh – London | 4,126 | 82.0% | 0.14% | 1.53% |
| London Gatwick – St. Peter | 4,023 | 82.9% | 0.37% | 0.54% |
| Jersey – London | 4,021 | 83.5% | 0.37% | 0.40% |
| Belfast International – Edinburgh | 3,808 | 79.0% | 0.52% | 0.65% |
| Edinburgh – Belfast | 3,806 | 79.1% | 0.52% | 0.68% |
| Belfast International – London | 3,779 | 81.8% | 0.34% | 0.32% |
Why flights to the United Kingdom are delayed
In 2025, air traffic flow restrictions held back arrivals at the United Kingdom’s airports by 0.79 minutes per flight on average (EUROCONTROL, 17 airports). The worst month was Dec.
Causes of air traffic flow delay (2025)
Average ATFM delay per arrival by month (min)
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Weather and air traffic control restrictions are usually extraordinary circumstances – but the airline must show they caused your delay. Check what happened on your travel day.
Strikes
No strikes affecting flights in the United Kingdom are announced in our calendar at the moment.
A union must win a postal ballot before industrial action is lawful, and then give the employer at least 10 days’ notice (reduced from 14 days by the Employment Rights Act 2025 for notices from 18 February 2026). A successful ballot now covers action for 12 months. There are no minimum service levels: the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 was repealed on 18 December 2025. Many UK strikes are called off after a new pay offer.
Strikes in United Kingdom · Strike calendar
Where to complain
- The airline first – in writing, with your booking reference. Use our complaint letter generator.
- National enforcement body: Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) – Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT) – If the airline belongs to a CAA-approved ADR scheme, your complaint goes there; PACT takes complaints about other airlines but cannot make a binding decision..
- Dispute resolution: Two CAA-approved ADR providers: AviationADR and the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR). They are free to use. You can apply after the airline’s final response, or if it has not replied within eight weeks of your written complaint, and within 12 months of the final response.
- From the UK: if you flew from a UK airport or with a UK airline, you can also use UK ADR, the CAA or the small claims court.
Time limit: 6 years in England and Wales (Limitation Act 1980, s.9, applied by UK261 Art. 3(9) and Dawson v Thomson Airways [2014] EWCA Civ 845); 5 years in Scotland (Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973, s.6); 6 years in Northern Ireland (Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, art. 4).
Tips for flying to the United Kingdom
- UK261 covers departures from airports in the United Kingdom, which in UK law means Great Britain and Northern Ireland – Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are not part of it, so check carefully before relying on UK261 for a flight from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
- For a flight into the UK from outside the UK and EU, UK261 applies only if a UK or EU airline operates it.
- Give the airline eight weeks to answer before going to ADR or the CAA, and apply to ADR within 12 months of its final response.
- In EUROCONTROL’s 2025 data most arrival flow-control delay at Heathrow and Gatwick was weather-related.
- In Scotland the limit is 5 years, not 6 – if you live in Scotland, treat five years as your deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Am I covered on a flight from the EU to the UK?
Yes. EU261 covers every flight departing from an EU airport, whatever the airline. If the airline is a UK carrier, UK261 may also apply – you can claim under one of them, not both.
Am I covered on a flight from outside Europe to the UK?
Only if the airline is a UK or EU carrier. A delayed flight from New York on British Airways is covered by UK261; the same flight on a US airline is not.
Who enforces passenger rights in the United Kingdom?
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) – Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT) – If the airline belongs to a CAA-approved ADR scheme, your complaint goes there; PACT takes complaints about other airlines but cannot make a binding decision.. Complain to the airline first; if it rejects you or does not answer, you can turn to this body. All national enforcement bodies.
Are strikes covered?
It depends whose staff are on strike. Air traffic control or airport strikes are usually extraordinary circumstances; strikes by the airline’s own staff are not (CJEU C-28/20). See strikes and compensation.
Data: Eurostat 2024, EUROCONTROL, UK Civil Aviation Authority 2025. Information only, not legal advice.
Sources
- Alternative dispute resolution – UK Civil Aviation Authority
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it applies in the UK (UK261) – Article 3, scope – legislation.gov.uk
- Interpretation Act 1978, Schedule 1 (definitions of “United Kingdom” and “British Islands”) – legislation.gov.uk
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it applies in the UK – Article 7 (compensation in pounds) – legislation.gov.uk
- Limitation Act 1980, section 9 – legislation.gov.uk
- Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973, section 6 – legislation.gov.uk
- Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, article 4 – legislation.gov.uk
- Employment Rights Act 2025 – trade union and industrial action changes – Acas
- Air passenger transport by reporting airport (avia_par), 2024 – Eurostat
- Airport arrival ATFM (flow-control) delay data, 2024–2025 – EUROCONTROL Aviation Intelligence Unit
- Eurostat – air passenger transport routes between partner airports and main airports (2024) – Eurostat
- EUROCONTROL – airport arrival ATFM delays (open performance data) – EUROCONTROL
- UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 – UK Civil Aviation Authority
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