In short: The route is 5,569 km long, so a 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation is worth £520 per passenger from London Gatwick (UK261). In 2025, 2.60% of flights on the route were at least 3 hours late and 2.59% were cancelled.
How punctual is the route?
- Flights operated
- 1,164
- On time (≤ 15 min late)
- 63.6%
- 3 hours or more late
- 2.60%
- Cancelled
- 2.59%
- Average delay
- 27.6 min
2025, at UK airports
close to the UK average (72.7%)
1 in 38 flights · worse than the UK average
31 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, Norse Atlantic Airways had the lowest share of 3-hour-plus delays (2.55%) and Delta Air Lines the highest (2.75%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norse Atlantic Airways | 611 | 67.8% | 2.55% | 2.86% | 26 min |
| British Airways | 337 | 53.2% | 2.59% | 3.16% | 31 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 216 | 67.9% | 2.75% | 0.92% | 26 min |
What you can claim
| Direction | Rules | 3 h+ delay or late cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| London Gatwick → New York | UK261 – departure from a UK airport, any airline | £520 (£260 for 3–4 h) |
| New York → London Gatwick | UK261 only with a UK or EU airline | £520 (£260 for 3–4 h) |
On flights from New York to the UK, it matters who operated the flight:
- Norse Atlantic Airways: UK261 – UK or EU airline flying into the UK
- British Airways: UK261 – UK or EU airline flying into the UK
- Delta Air Lines: 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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Airport guides: London Gatwick Airport
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation for a delayed London Gatwick to New York flight?
The great-circle distance is 5,569 km (3,460 miles). On the flight from London Gatwick UK261 applies: £520 per passenger for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more (£260 if the delay is between 3 and 4 hours). On the return flight from New York UK261 applies only if a UK or EU airline operated it.
How often are flights between London Gatwick and New York delayed or cancelled?
In 2025 the CAA recorded 1,164 flights on this route (both directions, measured at London Gatwick). 63.6% were on time or less than 15 minutes late, 2.60% were 3 hours or more late (about 1 in 38), and 2.59% were cancelled. The average delay was 27.6 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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