Manchester named worst UK airport for travel delays in 2025 - here's why

The data also found that Liverpool Airport has one of the best on-time performance rates of all major UK airports, with 82 per cent of flights on-time.

The analysis, conducted by air passenger rights experts, AirAdvisor, found that across the same time period an average of 77 per cent of flights from all UK airports were on-time. According to Liverpool Airport, 527,000 passengers passed through the hub last month, its busiest October ever.

Between January and June of this year, 71.5 per cent of flights at Manchester Airport were on-time. At Birmingham, this figure stood at 72.5 per cent, also below the national average.The major UK airport with the best flight punctuality rate according to the CAA’s data was Aberdeen where 83 per cent of flights were on-time in the first six months of this year.

Both Belfast City (82.5 per cent) and Belfast International (81.5 per cent) fared well in the findings. The CAA’s data assesses the percentage of flights from each airport that are on time. The CAA considers a flight as "on-time" if it arrives or departs from the airport gate within 15 minutes of its scheduled time. The CAA collects punctuality information from 25 UK airports - these are typically the largest airports in terms of passengers.

Anton Radchenko, CEO of AirAdvisor explains: “The team at Liverpool Airport should be commended for such outstanding results on this front, particularly given how much higher than the national average its on-time performance is.

“The picture in terms of flight delays is definitely improving across the UK. According to the CAA, only 72.5 per cent of UK flights in the first six months of 2024 were on-time, so the leap to 77 per cent in the same time period this year, is a marked improvement.

“In the years that followed the pandemic, flight delays rocketed to record highs due to airlines and airports struggling with staff shortages and supply chain issues that combined with a surge in demand for air travel. In 2022, for instance, the amount of flights on-time plummeted to

“Airlines, in particular, were caught between a rock and a hard place, because UK government legislation means that passengers can claim compensation if their flight is delayed due to a situation that an airline could have avoided.

“So, in recent years especially, it’s been in airlines’ interest to do what they can to reduce flight delays - and rightly so, especially when you consider how much more expensive most flights are now, compared to say, ten years ago.

“Likewise, airport managers want their hubs to be destinations where passengers begin unforgettable journeys in a comfortable and stress-free manner. Because of this, they also work to keep delays as low as possible.”

For the purposes of the CAA’s reporting the Channel Islands - Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney - and the Isle of Man are considered domestic aviation and their data is included, despite not formally being part of the United Kingdom.

UK’s top 10 worst major airports for delays in 2025 (lowest percentage of flights on-time)

1. Manchester - 71.5 per cent flights on time
2. Birmingham International - 72.5 per cent
3. Stansted and Bournemouth - 73.5 per cent
4. Bristol - 74.5 per cent
5. Teeside - 75 per cent
6. Newcastle, Gatwick and Jersey - 75.5 per cent
7. Exeter - 76 per cent
8. Edinburgh - 76.5 per cent
9. Southampton - 76.5 per cent
10. Cardiff - 77.5 per cent