Manchester Airport delays were second worst of any UK airport in 2022, figures show

Passengers at Manchester Airport faced the second longest delays at any UK airport in 2022, analysis of official figures shows.
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Manchester Airport passengers faced the second-longest waits to get away to their destinations of travellers passing through any UK airport in 2022, official data shows.

Analysis of the figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) showed passengers on average at the city-region’s travel hub left on their flights almost half an hour late last year.

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In fact the average delay at Manchester was just one minute shorter than that at Birmingham Airport, which was identified as the country’s least-punctual airport for the second year in a row. The airport said flights could be delayed by a number of factors and it was working hard to smooth out all the issues which are within its control. It also suggested that punctuality has improved in 2023.

What does the data show for Manchester Airport?

Analysis of the CAA figures done by a national news agency shows that Manchester came second in the table of airports with the longest delays in 2022, with an average wait for passengers of 29 minutes.

Birmingham topped the table with the average departure leaving exactly half an hour behind schedule in 2022. Planes departed an average of 28 minutes late at Luton and 27 minutes behind schedule at Gatwick. The average delay across all the UK’s airports was 23 minutes.

Passengers queuing at Manchester Airport in April 2022. Photo: Getty ImagesPassengers queuing at Manchester Airport in April 2022. Photo: Getty Images
Passengers queuing at Manchester Airport in April 2022. Photo: Getty Images

The analysis took into account all scheduled and chartered departures, with cancelled flights not being included in the figures. When flights are significantly delayed, airlines are required under consumer laws to provide passengers with assistance, which can include refreshments, a means of communication and accommodation if required.

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If the cause of disruption is under an airline’s control, passengers are also due compensation of up to £520 depending on the length of the delay and the distance of the flight. May and June were the worst months for flight reliability in 2022 as the aviation sector failed to recruit and train enough staff to cope with a surge in demand for holidays.

Since the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions Manchester Airport has had to embark on an enormous recruitment drive to bring in more staff after the travel hub created headlines for all the wrong reasons as passengers faced huge queues to check in and get through security.

What has Manchester Airport said?

A Manchester Airport spokesperson said: “Punctuality can be affected by a number of factors, many of which can be outside of our control, such as adverse weather, air traffic control issues elsewhere or operational challenges faced by our airlines and their handling agents.

“We are committed to doing everything in our power to support all our carriers to achieve the best possible on-time departure rates, while protecting their flight schedules and avoiding the need for cancellations, as we did throughout 2022.

“Since the period covered by this data, we have been pleased to see departure punctuality improve significantly, thanks to strong teamwork between the whole airport community at Manchester.”

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