The city’s airport was not the worst however
17:22, 21 Nov 2025Updated 17:25, 21 Nov 2025
Bristol Airport(Image: Copyright Unknown)
New data has revealed that Bristol Airport is among the worst major airports in the UK for flight delays so far in 2025. According to new data covering the first six months of the year from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), 74.5 per cent of flights were on time.
The data also showed that in the same period last year, 71.5 per cent of flights from Bristol Airport were on time, so the figures showed somewhat of an improvement in punctuality. The analysis of the CAA data was conducted by passenger rights experts AirAdvisor, who also found that across the same time period, an average of 77 per cent of flights from all UK airports were on time.
Figures for other major airports were similar to that of Bristol’s percentage, with Manchester Airport seeing 71.5 per cent and Birmingham 72.5 per cent of flights on time between January and June of this year – all sitting 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. Meanwhile, 82 per cent of flights at Liverpool were on-time, and both Belfast City (82.5 per cent) and Belfast International (81.5 per cent) fared well in the findings.
The full list of the UK’s top 10 worst major airports for delays in 2025 (those that have the lowest percentage of flights on time) are as follows:
- Manchester – 71.5 per cent flights on time
- Birmingham International – 72.5 per cent
- Stansted and Bournemouth – 73.5 per cent
- Bristol – 74.5 per cent
- Teeside – 75 per cent
- Newcastle, Gatwick and Jersey – 75.5 per cent
- Exeter – 76 per cent
- Edinburgh – 76.5 per cent
- Southampton – 76.5 per cent
- Cardiff – 77.5 per cent
The five best major airports for on-time flights are as follows:
- Aberdeen – 83 per cent
- Belfast City – 82.5 per cent
- Liverpool – 82 per cent
- Belfast International – 81.5 per cent
- London City and Glasgow – 80 per cent
Anton Radchenko, CEO of AirAdvisor explained what these numbers mean, and said: “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.
(Image: Getty Images)
“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. 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.”
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.
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.