In short: The route is 217 km long, so a 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation is worth £220 per passenger from Belfast City (George Best) (UK261). In 2025, 0.79% of flights on the route were at least 3 hours late and 4.14% were cancelled.
How punctual is the route?
- Flights operated
- 2,155
- On time (≤ 15 min late)
- 71.0%
- 3 hours or more late
- 0.79%
- Cancelled
- 4.14%
- Average delay
- 16.9 min
2025, at UK airports
close to the UK average (72.7%)
1 in 127 flights · worse than the UK average
93 flights · worse than the UK average
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 on this route
| Airline | Flights | On time | 3 h+ late | Cancelled | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | 2,060 | 71.5% | 0.73% | 4.32% | 17 min |
| easyJet | 94 | 59.6% | 2.13% | 0.00% | 25 min |
What you can claim
| Direction | Rules | 3 h+ delay or late cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| Belfast City (George Best) → Edinburgh | UK261 – departure from a UK airport, any airline | £220 |
Compensation is fixed by distance, not by the ticket price, and is paid per passenger, children included. It is not due if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. Whatever the cause, from 2 hours’ delay you are entitled to care (meals, drinks, a hotel if needed) and, after a cancellation, to a refund or re-routing.
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More routes
- Belfast City (George Best) → London4,518 flights
- Belfast City (George Best) → Birmingham3,480 flights
- Belfast City (George Best) → Manchester2,837 flights
- Belfast City (George Best) → Leeds2,227 flights
- Belfast City (George Best) → London2,007 flights
- Belfast City (George Best) → Southampton1,668 flights
- Belfast City (George Best) → London1,508 flights
- Belfast City (George Best) → Amsterdam1,419 flights
- Belfast City (George Best) → Glasgow1,251 flights
- London Heathrow → Edinburgh7,725 flights
- London Stansted → Edinburgh4,356 flights
- London City → Edinburgh4,128 flights
- Belfast International → Edinburgh3,808 flights
- London Gatwick → Edinburgh2,891 flights
- Bristol → Edinburgh2,875 flights
- Southampton → Edinburgh2,304 flights
- Birmingham → Edinburgh2,113 flights
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation for a delayed Belfast City (George Best) to Edinburgh flight?
The great-circle distance is 217 km (135 miles). On the flight from Belfast City (George Best) UK261 applies: £220 per passenger for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more.
How often are flights between Belfast City (George Best) and Edinburgh delayed or cancelled?
In 2025 the CAA recorded 2,155 flights on this route (both directions, measured at Belfast City (George Best)). 71.0% were on time or less than 15 minutes late, 0.79% were 3 hours or more late (about 1 in 127), and 4.14% were cancelled. The average delay was 16.9 minutes.
Does the airline have to pay if the delay was caused by weather or a strike?
Not if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances – for example severe weather or an air traffic control strike – and that it took all reasonable measures. Technical faults and strikes by the airline’s own staff do not normally count. What counts as extraordinary.
Sources
- UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 – UK Civil Aviation Authority
- The Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 – legislation.gov.uk
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – EUR-Lex
We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.