In short: The route is 295 km long, so a 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation is worth £220 per passenger from Belfast International (UK261). In 2025, 0.76% of flights on the route were at least 3 hours late and 0.74% were cancelled.
How punctual is the route?
- Flights operated
- 3,775
- On time (≤ 15 min late)
- 76.3%
- 3 hours or more late
- 0.76%
- Cancelled
- 0.74%
- Average delay
- 15.1 min
2025, at UK airports
close to the UK average (72.7%)
1 in 132 flights · worse than the UK average
28 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, easyJet had the lowest share of 3-hour-plus delays (0.71%) and Ryanair the highest (0.88%). 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 | 2,532 | 75.1% | 0.71% | 0.82% | 16 min |
| Ryanair | 1,243 | 78.7% | 0.88% | 0.56% | 14 min |
What you can claim
| Direction | Rules | 3 h+ delay or late cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| Belfast International → 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 International → Edinburgh3,808 flights
- Belfast International → London3,779 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 → Málaga1,618 flights
- Belfast International → Faro1,569 flights
- London Heathrow → Manchester5,096 flights
- Belfast City (George Best) → Manchester2,837 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 International to Manchester flight?
The great-circle distance is 295 km (184 miles). On the flight from Belfast International UK261 applies: £220 per passenger for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more.
How often are flights between Belfast International and Manchester delayed or cancelled?
In 2025 the CAA recorded 3,775 flights on this route (both directions, measured at Belfast International). 76.3% were on time or less than 15 minutes late, 0.76% were 3 hours or more late (about 1 in 132), and 0.74% were cancelled. The average delay was 15.1 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.