A new study has discovered which British airports are worst when it comes to flight punctuality - and the airports where travellers face the shortest delays.
The analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by the Press Association found that flights were delayed by an average of 14 minutes and 54 seconds, in 2025 - down from 18 minutes and 24 seconds in 2024.
Rory Boland, editor of magazine Which? Travel, said the choice of airport “shouldn’t make or break your trip” but “too many holidays got off to a terrible start last year”.
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He went on: “Manchester Airport has ranked last in our airport survey for four consecutive years and these new CAA figures validate why this is a particularly poor place to be stranded during delays.
“For passengers already wary of travel uncertainty, seeing such consistent underperformance makes it difficult to book with any real confidence.”
The analysis took into account scheduled and chartered departures from the 23 commercial UK airports with at least 1,000 outbound flights last year, including three airports in Scotland, with cancellations not included.
Here’s how all 23 airports performed, starting with the worst.
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13. Bristol Airport
Those looking to head off on their holidays from Bristol Airport face an average flight delay of 14 minutes and 36 seconds. | Getty Images

14. London City Airport
We've now reached the 10 British airports with the lowest delays - starting with London City where you can expect your flight to take off 14 minutes and 12 seconds late on average. | AFP via Getty Images

15. London Luton Airport
Travellers boarding at London Luton Airport also face an average flight delay of 14 minutes and 12 seconds. | Getty Images

16. Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport is the biggest and busiest in Britain but performs reltively well when it comes to delays - an average flight leaves 12 minutes and 42 seconds late. | Getty Images

