Manchester Airport has been identified as the worst in the UK for flight delays, prompting warnings that passengers cannot book flights from there "with any real confidence." Departures from the country's third busiest airport averaged 19 minutes and 30 seconds behind schedule in 2025, according to an analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by the Press Association. This was the longest delay among all UK airports, despite a 30-second improvement from the previous year.
Rankings and Context
Flight delays often result from factors beyond airport control, such as air traffic control (ATC) disruption and adverse weather. Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, noted that while the choice of airport "shouldn't make or break your trip," "too many holidays got off to a terrible start last year." He added: "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."
Birmingham Airport recorded the second poorest punctuality, with an average delay of 18 minutes and 42 seconds, followed by Bournemouth Airport at 17 minutes and 18 seconds. In contrast, Liverpool John Lennon Airport—less than 30 miles from Manchester—had the most punctual flights, with an average delay of just nine minutes and 24 seconds.
Data and Methodology
The analysis considered scheduled and chartered departures from 23 commercial UK airports with at least 1,000 outbound flights last year, excluding cancellations. The average delay across all airports in 2025 was 14 minutes and 54 seconds, down from 18 minutes and 24 seconds in 2024.
Manchester is the UK's only two-runway airport besides Heathrow, serving 32 million passengers last year. Its Terminal 3 renovation is ongoing, while a 10-year, £1.3 billion transformation—including modernising and doubling Terminal 2 and closing Terminal 1—was recently completed.
Airport Responses
A Manchester Airport spokesperson stated: "Punctuality is affected by factors outside an airport's control. The two most significant factors in the last year have been industrial action affecting air traffic control in Europe and weather. These were exacerbated by airspace restrictions above conflict zones, meaning airports with significant long-haul networks, like Manchester, were more significantly affected. As an industry, we are working collectively to achieve the best possible on-time departure rates while protecting flight schedules and avoiding cancellations."
A Bournemouth Airport spokesman said delays are outside its control "in the majority of cases," and it is "one of the UK's top-ranked regional airports for passenger satisfaction." Birmingham Airport did not respond to a request for comment.
Passenger Rights
Depending on route distance and delay length, passengers on delayed flights from UK airports are entitled to assistance, including reasonable food and drink, communication means, and overnight accommodation if needed. Airlines often fail to provide this during major disruption due to overwhelming demand. Passengers may also claim compensation up to £520 from the airline if the delay is within its control, such as aircraft faults or pilot sickness. ATC issues are considered "extraordinary circumstances," meaning affected passengers are not entitled to payouts.
Anna Bowles, head of consumer at the CAA, urged the aviation industry to be "focused on delivering punctual and reliable journeys for passengers wherever possible," warning that delays have a "real impact for people heading off on holidays." She added: "When disruption occurs, how the industry responds really matters. Passengers should be kept informed and given the care and support they are entitled to."
A spokesperson for trade body AirportsUK said passengers are "benefitting from improvements in the service they receive," noting that delays in 2025 were "down significantly on the previous year."
