In short: The route is 1,579 km long, so a 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation is worth £350 per passenger from Birmingham (UK261) and €400 from Alicante (EU261). In 2025, 0.70% of flights on the route were at least 3 hours late and 0.15% were cancelled.
How punctual is the route?
- Flights operated
- 2,580
- On time (≤ 15 min late)
- 71.7%
- 3 hours or more late
- 0.70%
- Cancelled
- 0.15%
- Average delay
- 17.3 min
2025, at UK airports
close to the UK average (72.7%)
1 in 143 flights · worse than the UK average
4 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 (0.54%) and Ryanair the highest (0.63%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | 1,264 | 70.9% | 0.63% | 0.16% | 17 min |
| Jet2 | 803 | 66.9% | 0.62% | 0.12% | 19 min |
| easyJet | 368 | 85.6% | 0.54% | 0.27% | 9 min |
| TUI Airways | 144 | 70.1% | 2.08% | 0.00% | 30 min |
What you can claim
| Direction | Rules | 3 h+ delay or late cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham → Alicante | UK261 – departure from a UK airport, any airline | £350 |
| Alicante → Birmingham | 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
- Birmingham → Dublin7,403 flights
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- Birmingham → Belfast3,481 flights
- Birmingham → Paris3,129 flights
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- Birmingham → Faro1,754 flights
- London Gatwick → Alicante5,302 flights
- Manchester → Alicante5,210 flights
- Bristol → Alicante3,027 flights
- London Stansted → Alicante2,940 flights
- Leeds Bradford → Alicante2,450 flights
- Liverpool John Lennon → Alicante2,354 flights
- London Luton → Alicante2,303 flights
- East Midlands → Alicante2,132 flights
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation for a delayed Birmingham to Alicante flight?
The great-circle distance is 1,579 km (981 miles). On the flight from Birmingham UK261 applies: £350 per passenger for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more. On the return flight from Alicante EU261 applies: €400.
How often are flights between Birmingham and Alicante delayed or cancelled?
In 2025 the CAA recorded 2,580 flights on this route (both directions, measured at Birmingham). 71.7% were on time or less than 15 minutes late, 0.70% were 3 hours or more late (about 1 in 143), and 0.15% were cancelled. The average delay was 17.3 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.