Manchester Airport has topped the list of UK airports with the longest flight delays for the second year in a row.
Despite a 30-second improvement on its performance from last year, the country’s third busiest airport still ranked the worst, with average flight delays of 19.5 minutes.
A full list of UK airports with the longest delays has been published by the Press Association, based on analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data. Across all airports, the average delay fell to 14 minutes and 54 seconds, an improvement on the 18 minutes and 24 seconds recorded the previous year.
Manchester, which was used by 32 million passengers last year, is the only airport in the country besides Heathrow with two runways. It is currently redeveloping Terminal 3 following the recent overhaul of Terminal 2.
Responding to the findings, an airport spokesperson said a number of the main causes of disruption were beyond the control of individual airports. They pointed to industrial action affecting air-traffic control services across Europe and periods of poor weather as key factors behind delays over the past year.
The spokesperson added: “These were exacerbated by air-space restrictions above conflict zones meaning airports with significant long-haul networks, like Manchester, were more significantly affected than others.”
After topping the list in both 2023 and 2022, this year Birmingham Airport recorded the second-highest average delays at 18 minutes and 42 seconds. Bournemouth Airport ranked third with delays of 17 minutes and 18 seconds. The south coast hub said most delays were linked to external issues, while Birmingham Airport did not provide a comment.
At the other end of the table, Liverpool John Lennon Airport had the shortest delays, averaging nine minutes and 24 seconds.
The full list is:
- Manchester – 19 minutes, 30 seconds
- Birmingham – 18 minutes, 42 seconds
- Bournemouth – 17 minutes, 18 seconds
- Southampton – 16 minutes, 36 seconds
- Gatwick – 16 minutes, 24 seconds
- Newcastle – 15 minutes, 48 seconds
- Leeds Bradford – 15 minutes, 36 seconds
- Stansted – 15 minutes, 36 seconds
- Edinburgh – 15 minutes, 24 seconds
- Teesside – 15 minutes, 6 seconds
- Cardiff – 14 minutes, 54 seconds
- Exeter – 14 minutes, 54 seconds
- Bristol – 14 minutes, 36 seconds
- London City – 14 minutes, 12 seconds
- Luton – 14 minutes, 12 seconds
- Heathrow – 12 minutes, 42 seconds
- Belfast International – 12 minutes, 24 seconds
- Glasgow – 12 minutes, 6 seconds
- Belfast City – 12 minutes, 6 seconds
- East Midlands – 11 minutes, 48 seconds
- Aberdeen – 10 minutes, 54 seconds
- Southend – 10 minutes, 24 seconds
- Liverpool John Lennon – nine minutes, 24 seconds
