In short: The route is 274 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, 1.10% of flights on the route were at least 3 hours late and 2.91% were cancelled.
How punctual is the route?
- Flights operated
- 2,837
- On time (≤ 15 min late)
- 76.0%
- 3 hours or more late
- 1.10%
- Cancelled
- 2.91%
- Average delay
- 13.9 min
2025, at UK airports
close to the UK average (72.7%)
1 in 91 flights · worse than the UK average
85 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
Of the airlines with at least 200 flights on the route, easyJet had the lowest share of 3-hour-plus delays (0.59%) and Aer Lingus the highest (1.13%). A single bad day can move these figures, so read them as a guide, not a forecast.
Airlines on this route
| Airline | Flights | On time | 3 h+ late | Cancelled | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | 2,338 | 76.9% | 1.13% | 3.15% | 14 min |
| easyJet | 497 | 72.1% | 0.59% | 1.78% | 13 min |
What you can claim
| Direction | Rules | 3 h+ delay or late cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| Belfast City (George Best) → Manchester | 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) → Leeds2,227 flights
- Belfast City (George Best) → Edinburgh2,155 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 → Manchester5,096 flights
- Belfast International → Manchester3,775 flights
- Isle of Man → Manchester1,883 flights
- Aberdeen → Manchester1,465 flights
Airport guides: Manchester Airport
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation for a delayed Belfast City (George Best) to Manchester flight?
The great-circle distance is 274 km (170 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 Manchester delayed or cancelled?
In 2025 the CAA recorded 2,837 flights on this route (both directions, measured at Belfast City (George Best)). 76.0% were on time or less than 15 minutes late, 1.10% were 3 hours or more late (about 1 in 91), and 2.91% were cancelled. The average delay was 13.9 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.