In short: The route is 2,830 km long, so a 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation is worth £350 per passenger from Edinburgh (UK261). In 2025, 0.33% of flights on the route were at least 3 hours late and 1.66% were cancelled.
How punctual is the route?
- Flights operated
- 1,187
- On time (≤ 15 min late)
- 77.5%
- 3 hours or more late
- 0.33%
- Cancelled
- 1.66%
- Average delay
- 9.7 min
2025, at UK airports
close to the UK average (72.7%)
1 in 303 flights · better than the UK average
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish Airlines | 1,187 | 77.5% | 0.33% | 1.66% | 10 min |
What you can claim
| Direction | Rules | 3 h+ delay or late cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh → Istanbul | UK261 – departure from a UK airport, any airline | £350 |
| Istanbul → Edinburgh | UK261 only with a UK or EU airline | £350 |
On flights from Istanbul to the UK, it matters who operated the flight:
- Turkish Airlines: Not covered by UK261/EU261 (non-UK/EU airline departing outside the UK/EU)
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
- Edinburgh → London7,723 flights
- Edinburgh → Dublin7,483 flights
- Edinburgh → Amsterdam4,803 flights
- Edinburgh → London4,350 flights
- Edinburgh → London4,126 flights
- Edinburgh → Belfast3,806 flights
- Edinburgh → Paris3,634 flights
- Edinburgh → London2,887 flights
- Edinburgh → Bristol2,874 flights
- Edinburgh → Southampton2,309 flights
- Edinburgh → Belfast2,154 flights
- Edinburgh → Birmingham2,110 flights
- London Heathrow → Istanbul6,497 flights
- London Gatwick → Istanbul3,598 flights
- Manchester → Istanbul3,003 flights
- Birmingham → Istanbul1,592 flights
Airport guides: Istanbul Airport
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation for a delayed Edinburgh to Istanbul flight?
The great-circle distance is 2,830 km (1,758 miles). On the flight from Edinburgh UK261 applies: £350 per passenger for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more. On the return flight from Istanbul UK261 applies only if a UK or EU airline operated it.
How often are flights between Edinburgh and Istanbul delayed or cancelled?
In 2025 the CAA recorded 1,187 flights on this route (both directions, measured at Edinburgh). 77.5% were on time or less than 15 minutes late, 0.33% were 3 hours or more late (about 1 in 303), and 1.66% were cancelled. The average delay was 9.7 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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