In short: The route is 1,167 km long, so a 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation is worth £220 per passenger from Manchester (UK261) and €250 from Milan (EU261). In 2025, 0.73% of flights on the route were at least 3 hours late and 1.21% were cancelled.
How punctual is the route?
- Flights operated
- 1,629
- On time (≤ 15 min late)
- 62.3%
- 3 hours or more late
- 0.73%
- Cancelled
- 1.21%
- Average delay
- 21.2 min
2025, at UK airports
worse than the UK average (72.7%)
1 in 137 flights · worse 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
Of the airlines with at least 200 flights on the route, easyJet had the lowest share of 3-hour-plus delays (0.65%) and Ryanair the highest (0.81%). 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 | 861 | 59.0% | 0.81% | 0.81% | 23 min |
| easyJet | 768 | 66.0% | 0.65% | 1.66% | 19 min |
What you can claim
| Direction | Rules | 3 h+ delay or late cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester → Milan | UK261 – departure from a UK airport, any airline | £220 |
| Milan → Manchester | EU261 – departure from an EU airport, any airline | €250 |
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
- Manchester → Dublin9,289 flights
- Manchester → Amsterdam7,552 flights
- Manchester → Paris5,373 flights
- Manchester → Alicante5,210 flights
- Manchester → London5,099 flights
- Manchester → Tenerife4,886 flights
- Manchester → Palma de Mallorca4,134 flights
- Manchester → Antalya4,127 flights
- Manchester → Belfast3,778 flights
- Manchester → Málaga3,458 flights
- Manchester → Barcelona3,417 flights
- Manchester → Istanbul3,003 flights
- London Gatwick → Milan4,670 flights
- London Heathrow → Milan2,176 flights
- London Stansted → Milan2,117 flights
Airport guides: Manchester Airport
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation for a delayed Manchester to Milan flight?
The great-circle distance is 1,167 km (725 miles). On the flight from Manchester UK261 applies: £220 per passenger for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more. On the return flight from Milan EU261 applies: €250.
How often are flights between Manchester and Milan delayed or cancelled?
In 2025 the CAA recorded 1,629 flights on this route (both directions, measured at Manchester). 62.3% were on time or less than 15 minutes late, 0.73% were 3 hours or more late (about 1 in 137), and 1.21% were cancelled. The average delay was 21.2 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.