Edinburgh Airport named as one of the worst for flight delays in the UK

Passengers face ‘disappointing’ delays at Edinburgh Airport

New data has revealed that Edinburgh Airport is one of the worst for flight delays in the UK.

The local airport was ranked at number seven, alongside Cardiff, in the list of airports with the poorest punctuality. Flight departures from Edinburgh were 24 minutes behind schedule on average last year, according to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by the PA news agency. Edinburgh Airport saw more delays in 2022 than the year before – moving up from tenth worst to seventh. The data found that Birmingham Airport was the worst in the UK for flight delays for the second year in a row.

In 2022, May and June were the worst months for flight delays across the country, as airports and airlines struggled to recruit fast enough to cope within the surge in demand for international travel after Covid. Airlines are required by law to provide passengers with assistance when flights are significantly delayed. This can include refreshments, a means of communication and accommodation if needed. Travellers may also be due compensation, of up to £520, if the disruption is under the control of the airline.

Edinburgh Airport was the seventh worst airport for flight delays in 2022, according to new data.

The worst airports for flight delays:

1. Birmingham (30 minutes)

=2. Manchester (29 minutes)

=2. Doncaster Sheffield (29 minutes)

4. Luton (28 minutes)

5. Gatwick (27 minutes)

6. Bristol (26 minutes)

=7. Cardiff (24 minutes)

=7. Edinburgh (24 minutes)

9. Heathrow (22 minutes)

=10. Newcastle (21 minutes)

=10. Isle of Man (21 minutes)

=10. Aberdeen (21 minutes)

=13. Leeds Bradford (20 minutes)

=13. Southend (20 minutes)

=15. Glasgow (19 minutes)

=15. Stansted (19 minutes)

=15. Southampton (19 minutes)

=15. Bournemouth (19 minutes)

=19. London City (17 minutes)

=19. Jersey (17 minutes)

21. Belfast International (16 minutes)

=22. Liverpool John Lennon (15 minutes)

=22. Belfast City (15 minutes)

=24. Exeter (14 minutes)

=24. Teesside (14 minutes)

26. East Midlands (13 minutes)

What has Edinburgh Airport said in response?

A spokesperson for Edinburgh Airport said: “A league table ranking airports for flight delays is unhelpful as it fails to recognise one important fact - airlines operate flights, not airports. In any case, we are encouraged to see passengers return to travel and it goes without saying we do not want anybody to wait longer than they need to for their flight.

“It's important to note delays can be caused by weather issues, the knock-on impact of delays elsewhere on the network, and crewing issues among several other factors. As ever, passengers should always look to speak to their airline for the latest information on their flight. The CAA would do well to provide that context in future so we can give a greater understanding to passengers.”

CAA head of consumer Anna Bowles told National World: “Our data tells us that too many passengers faced disappointing levels of delays across UK airports last year. It is important consumers experience a high-quality service from both airlines and airports this year. We expect airlines to proactively provide passengers with information about their rights when flights are disrupted.”