Airlines including Jet2, EasyJet and TUI have topped the list for the UK's worst routes – with some delays forcing travellers to languish in airports for hours
There’s nothing worse than having your holiday plans derailed by delayed flights – but some routes are far worse than others when it comes to punctuality.
Leading airlines, including Jet2, EasyJet and TUI have topped the list for the UK's worst journeys, which reported delays as little as 15 minutes to an agonising 84 minute wait for those trying to escape to sunny Greece.
New figures from the Civil Aviation Authority found a whopping 68% of Jet2 flights travelling from Newcastle to Malaga were delayed by at least 15 minutes in the 12 months to April. It marks the worst record of any route that saw more than 100 flights in the last year.
Also high in the rankings for delays were Jet2 flights from Edinburgh to Mallorca, and from Newcastle to Alicante, both with 66% of flights delayed by at least 15 minutes last year. These were followed by Jet2 flights from Stansted to Fiumicino, Rome, and from Stansted to Malaga (both 65%).
All of the top 10 most-delayed airline routes were Jet2 flights.
Top ten most delayed flight routes in the UK
Airport - Destination - Airline - % of flights delayed by 15 minutes or more (12 months to April 2024)
- Newcastle - Malaga - Jet2.Com - 68% delayed
- Edinburgh - Palma De Mallorca - Jet2.Com - 66% delayed
- Newcastle - Alicante - Jet2.Com - 66% delayed
- Stansted - Rome (Fiumicino) - Jet2.Com - 65% delayed
- Stansted - Malaga - Jet2.Com - 65% delayed
- Birmingham - Malaga - Jet2.Com - 64% delayed
- Birmingham - Rome (Fiumicino) - Jet2.Com - 64% delayed
- Edinburgh - Faro - Jet2.Com - 64% delayed
- Newcastle - Faro - Jet2.Com - 63% delayed
- Manchester - Malta - Jet2.Com - 63% delayed
But when it comes to the length of time travellers are forced to wait, some routes were particularly concerning. TUI flights from Manchester to Heraklion in Crete, Greece have the worst record when it comes to average delay times, forcing hundreds of holidaymakers to languish in airports for over an hour before departure.
While only 28% of flights on this route were delayed by 15 minutes or more in the year to April, they were delayed by an average of 84 minutes - nearly an hour and a half. These were followed by easyJet flights from Isle of Man to Gatwick (81 minutes), British Airways flights from Heathrow to Islamabad (77 minutes), TUI flights from Manchester to Kos (70 minutes) and TUI flights from Gatwick to Larnaca (67 minutes).
With summer holidays just around the corner, you can see how likely flights to your destination will be delayed using our interactive gadget.
Longest delayed flight routes in the UK
Airport - Destination - Airline - Average delay (12 months to April 2024)
- Manchester - Heraklion - TUI Airways - 84 minutes
- Isle Of Man - Gatwick - EasyJet - 81 minutes
- Heathrow - Islamabad International Airport - British Airways - 77 minutes
- Manchester - Kos - TUI Airways - 70 minutes
- Gatwick - Larnaca - TUI Airways - 67 minutes
- Gatwick - Tunis - Tunisair - 66 minutes
- Gatwick - Antalya - Freebird Airlines - 63 minutes
- Luton - Tirana - Wizz Air UK - 62 minutes
- Gatwick - Antalya - TUI Airways - 59 minutes
- Luton - Palma De Mallorca - Wizz Air UK - 58 minutes
The only thing worse than a delayed flight is a cancelled one. Air Albania flights from Stansted to Tirana were the most likely to be cancelled last year, with 63% of flights on this route scrapped between May 2023 and April 2024.
Other routes with a poor cancellation record include Aer Lingus flights from Belfast to Birmingham (44%), Belfast to Edinburgh (41%), Belfast to Leeds (36%), and FLM flights from Aberdeen to Amsterdam (20%).
Most cancelled flight routes in the UK
Airport - Destination - Airline - % of flights cancelled (12 months to April 2024)
- Stansted - Tirana - Air Albania SHPK - 63% cancelled
- Belfast City (George Best) - Birmingham - Aer Lingus - 44% cancelled
- Belfast City (George Best) - Edinburgh - Aer Lingus - 41% cancelled
- Belfast City (George Best) - Leeds Bradford - Aer Lingus - 36% cancelled
- Aberdeen - Amsterdam - KLM - 20% cancelled
- Heathrow - Tel Aviv - Virgin Atlantic Airways - 18% cancelled
- Aberdeen - Humberside - Eastern Airways - 13% cancelled
- Gatwick - New York (JF Kennedy) - British Airways - 13% cancelled
- Glasgow - Barra - Loganair - 13% cancelled
- Exeter - Isles Of Scilly (St.Marys) - Isles Of Scilly Skybus - 13% cancelled