UK airports ranked by longest flight delays with major Scottish travel hub among worst offenders

MILLIONS of passengers faced flight delays in the last year, new data has revealed.

And figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) show the worst airports for hold-ups across the UK.

2

In Scotland, Edinburgh is the biggest offender coming in fourth worst in the whole of Britain, with an average of delay of 21 minutes and 48 seconds for flyers.

That’s well over the average waiting times across the whole of the UK, which comes in at 20 minutes and 42 seconds.

The capital’s airport was only beaten by Gatwick, at 26 minutes and 54 seconds, Luton, at 22 minutes and 54 seconds, and Manchester, at 21 minutes and 54 seconds.

The West Sussex airport at the top of the delay list, which is the second-busiest in the UK, was badly affected by air traffic control (ATC) staff shortages across Europe last year and repeatedly suffered the same problem in its own control tower.

The analysis – carried out by the PA news agency – took into account all scheduled and chartered departures from the 22 commercial UK airports with at least 1,000 outbound flights last year. Cancellations were not included.

Naomi Leach, deputy editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said: “It’s clear from these latest figures that millions of passengers continued to experience unacceptably long hold-ups last year.

“This cannot be allowed to become the new normal.”

Across the rest of Scotland, Aberdeen came in at number 12 on the delay list with an average of 17 minutes and 42 seconds’ wait for passengers. Meanwhile, Glasgow performed the best at 17th on the list with delays of just 16 minutes and 36 seconds.

CAA director Tim Johnson said it is vital the aviation sector “focuses on resilience” ahead of the summer holiday period to “keep passenger disruption to a minimum”.

He added: “Where people do find themselves facing disruption, we want them to be well-informed about the duty of care that they are entitled to.”

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said flight disruption is “always incredibly frustrating”.

She continued: “Any delay can have significant knock-on effects to both leisure and business travellers.

“With millions of Brits set to travel abroad this summer, it’s vital for the UK’s airports alongside all parts of the travel eco-system to continually work together to ensure the system is as efficient as it can be.”

When flights are significantly delayed or cancelled, airlines are required under consumer laws to provide passengers with assistance such as refreshments, a means of communication and overnight accommodation if required.

But air traffic control (ATC) issues are generally considered to be an “extraordinary circumstance”, meaning affected passengers are not entitled to payouts.

WHAT ARE MY RIGHTS?

PASSENGERS who suffer flight disruption are often left unsure what they are entitled to.

Here’s a handy guide to what customers’ rights are:

– What flights are covered by UK consumer law?

Flights operated by an airline departing from a UK airport, flights operated by a UK or EU airline arriving at a UK airport, or flights operated by a UK airline arriving at an EU airport.

– How long must a flight be delayed before I am entitled to assistance?

It depends on the distance of the flight. For flights under 1,500km (932 miles) such as from Glasgow to Amsterdam: at least two hours. For flights between 1,500km (932 miles) and 3,500km (2,175 miles) such as from Manchester to Marrakesh: at least three hours. For flights over 3,500km (2,175 miles) such as from Heathrow to New York: at least four hours.

– What should this assistance include?

A reasonable amount of food and drink, a means for you to communicate, such as refunding the cost of phone calls, and accommodation and transfers if an overnight stay is required.

– What happens in reality?

Airlines often fail to provide this assistance during major disruption due to being overwhelmed by requests. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says in this scenario, passengers can organise their own assistance and claim the costs back from the airline.

– What about getting to my destination?

If a flight is cancelled, airlines are required to get you to your destination if you still want to travel. Most will book you onto another of their flights, but you may be entitled to travel with another airline or by an alternative mode of transport if it will get you to your destination significantly sooner.

Passengers doing this are often required to purchase their own tickets and submit a claim to their original airline for reimbursement.

– What if I no longer want to travel?

You are entitled to a refund if you have been delayed by more than five hours.

– Am I entitled to compensation for a delayed flight?

Airlines may be liable for compensation if the reason for a delay is deemed within their control, such as a fault with the aircraft or pilot sickness. Causes of disruption classed as outside their control include severe weather, air traffic control restrictions and security alerts.

– How much can I claim for a delay?

It depends on the length of the flight and how much its arrival was later than scheduled.

For flights under 1,500km (932 miles): £220 for a delay of at least three hours. For flights between 1,500km (932 miles) and 3,500km (2,175 miles): £350 for a delay of at least three hours. For flights over 3,500km (2,175 miles): £260 for a delay of at least three hours but less than four hours. For flights over 3,500km (2,175 miles): £520 for a delay of at least four hours.

– Can I claim compensation if my flight is cancelled?

You can if the reason is deemed within the airline’s control, you received no more than 14 days’ notice, and depending on the timings of a new flight offered. You can claim between £110 and £520, depending on the length of the route and the timings of a new flight.

Gatwick said in a statement: “As the most efficient single runway airport in the world, we aim to deliver a seamless passenger experience.

“The majority of cancellations are caused by poor weather, airspace constraints across Europe and inefficient third party ground operations.

“We are working closely with our airline partners to improve on-time performance.

“In addition, we have published a six-year capital investment programme setting out significant improvements to develop and enhance infrastructure and facilities to build the resilience of the airport.”