In short: The route is 2,004 km long, so a 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation is worth £350 per passenger from Belfast International (UK261) and €400 from Málaga (EU261). In 2025, 1.11% of flights on the route were at least 3 hours late and 0.37% were cancelled.
How punctual is the route?
- Flights operated
- 1,618
- On time (≤ 15 min late)
- 74.7%
- 3 hours or more late
- 1.11%
- Cancelled
- 0.37%
- Average delay
- 15.6 min
2025, at UK airports
close to the UK average (72.7%)
1 in 90 flights · worse than the UK average
6 flights · better 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, Jet2 had the lowest share of 3-hour-plus delays (0.46%) and Ryanair the highest (1.28%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| easyJet | 929 | 72.7% | 1.07% | 0.43% | 16 min |
| Ryanair | 467 | 72.7% | 1.28% | 0.43% | 16 min |
| Jet2 | 218 | 89.0% | 0.46% | 0.00% | 13 min |
What you can claim
| Direction | Rules | 3 h+ delay or late cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| Belfast International → Málaga | UK261 – departure from a UK airport, any airline | £350 |
| Málaga → Belfast International | EU261 – departure from an EU airport, any airline | €400 |
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 International → Edinburgh3,808 flights
- Belfast International → London3,779 flights
- Belfast International → Manchester3,775 flights
- Belfast International → London2,795 flights
- Belfast International → Liverpool2,632 flights
- Belfast International → Birmingham2,468 flights
- Belfast International → Glasgow2,352 flights
- Belfast International → London2,288 flights
- Belfast International → Newcastle1,770 flights
- Belfast International → Alicante1,758 flights
- Belfast International → Bristol1,713 flights
- Belfast International → Faro1,569 flights
- London Gatwick → Málaga7,634 flights
- Manchester → Málaga3,458 flights
- London Stansted → Málaga2,616 flights
- Bristol → Málaga2,584 flights
- London Luton → Málaga2,284 flights
- Birmingham → Málaga2,207 flights
- Liverpool John Lennon → Málaga2,045 flights
- Leeds Bradford → Málaga1,834 flights
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation for a delayed Belfast International to Málaga flight?
The great-circle distance is 2,004 km (1,245 miles). On the flight from Belfast International UK261 applies: £350 per passenger for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more. On the return flight from Málaga EU261 applies: €400.
How often are flights between Belfast International and Málaga delayed or cancelled?
In 2025 the CAA recorded 1,618 flights on this route (both directions, measured at Belfast International). 74.7% were on time or less than 15 minutes late, 1.11% were 3 hours or more late (about 1 in 90), and 0.37% were cancelled. The average delay was 15.6 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
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