The airport in the capital city was ranked in the top ten worst in the UK for flight delays.
Edinburgh Airport is among the worst in the UK for flight delays.
Edinburgh Airport is the seventh worst airport in the UK for departure delays, according to new data.
Analysis by the PA of Civil Aviation Authority data (CAA) names Edinburgh as the worst performing airport, coming in nine spots below Glasgow and twelve below Aberdeen.
Edinburgh was 7th worst in the UK, with an average departure delay time of 18 minutes and six seconds; whereas Glasgow came in at 16th with delays of 15 minutes and 12 seconds; and Aberdeen’s 13 minutes and 18 seconds placed the airport at 19th. Gatwick was ranked at 1st in the UK for flight delays, with the issue put down to problems around air traffic control (ATC) disruption, reports Edinburgh Live.
Gatwick, which is the UK’s second busiest airport, was badly affected by ATC staff shortages across continental Europe in 2024, and also suffered the same problem in its own control tower. Flights from Birmingham airport had the second poorest punctuality record last year, with an average delays over 21 minutes.
Glasgow Airport came in at 16th place. (Image: DAILY RECORD)
In third place was Manchester airport, with 20 minutes. Such delays are often caused by issues outside the control of airports.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said many holidaymakers “save all year” for their trips, so flight disruption can cause an “emotional toll” as people feel “their time and investment aren’t being respected”.
She added: “Passengers expect and deserve not to spend hours stuck in terminals with little information or support. Reliable service, clear communication and efficient operations should be the standard, not the exception, and airports must take this responsibility seriously.
“This summer is set to be exceptionally busy, therefore it is essential airports and airlines do all they can to ensure consumer confidence to travel remains high.”
Belfast City (George Best) airport recorded the best punctuality performance in the UK for the second year in a row, with a typical delay per flight coming in at less than 12 minutes. The analysis took into account scheduled and chartered departures from the 22 commercial UK airports with at least 1,000 outbound flights last year.
Cancellations were not included in the analysis.
Depending on the distance of the route and length of delay, passengers booked on flights from UK airports which are running behind schedule are entitled to assistance such as a reasonable amount of food and drink, a means to communicate and overnight accommodation if needed. Passengers may also be able to claim compensation of up to £520 from the airline if the reason for the delay is deemed their fault, which could be a fault with the aircraft or pilot sickness.
However ATC issues are considered to be an “extraordinary circumstance”, meaning affected passengers are not entitled to payouts.
Selina Chadha, a director at the CAA, which has consumer advice on its website, said: “The industry works hard to ensure flights are punctual, but sometimes delays occur. What is important to us is what airlines and airports do to minimise disruption, as well as comply with their legal obligations to look after passengers if something happens to their flight.
“We also advise consumers to ensure they know what assistance they are entitled to.”
UK airports ordered from the longest average delay per departing flight to the shortest:
1. Gatwick (23 minutes and 18 seconds) 2. Birmingham (21 minutes and 18 seconds) 3. Manchester (20 minutes) 4. Stansted (19 minutes and 36 seconds) 5. Teesside (19 minutes and six seconds) 6. Exeter (19 minutes) 7. Edinburgh (18 minutes and six seconds) 8. Bournemouth (17 minutes and 48 seconds) 9. Luton (17 minutes and 42 seconds) 10. Cardiff Wales (17 minutes and 36 seconds) 11. Heathrow (17 minutes and 24 seconds) 11. Newcastle (17 minutes and 24 seconds) 13. Bristol (17 minutes and six seconds) 14. Southampton (16 minutes and 24 seconds) 15. Leeds Bradford (16 minutes) 16. Glasgow (15 minutes and 12 seconds) 17. London City (15 minutes and six seconds) 18. Belfast International (14 minutes and 42 seconds) 19. Aberdeen (13 minutes and 18 seconds) 20. Liverpool (John Lennon) (12 minutes and 42 seconds) 21. East Midlands International (12 minutes and 30 seconds) 22. Belfast City (George Best) (11 minutes and 36 seconds)