As millions of Britons jet off on winter getaways, from ski trips to city breaks, new data exposes a stark postcode lottery for flight reliability. Research highlights how a traveller's choice of departure airport can dramatically increase or decrease their risk of disruption during the busy winter season.
The UK's Winter Flight Disruption Hotspots
The Winter Flight Disruption Index, compiled by ski package specialist Erna Low, has pinpointed the best and worst major UK airports for on-time performance between November and April. The findings show that Manchester Airport and London Heathrow share the dubious honour of being the most disrupted, with nearly three in ten flights either delayed or cancelled.
December proves particularly chaotic, with disruption levels soaring far above the winter average. London's major gateways dominate the peak of the list for that month, with Stansted, Heathrow, and Gatwick all exceeding a 41% disruption rate. Manchester and Edinburgh followed closely behind, each seeing around 40% of flights affected.
Manchester also recorded the longest average delays across the winter period, with travellers facing waits of around 17 minutes. This underscores the need for passengers to build significant buffers into their travel plans to avoid missing crucial connections.
Reliability Heroes and Smoother Alternatives
In contrast, Glasgow Airport emerges as the UK's reliability champion. Despite facing the same adverse winter weather and peak demand, it managed to keep disruption almost six percentage points lower than Manchester. More than three in four flights from Glasgow operated on time.
The research indicates that travellers seeking more dependable journeys should look beyond London. Airports in Newcastle, Bristol, and Birmingham all outperformed their capital counterparts, offering viable alternatives for smoother winter travel.
A travel expert from Erna Low advised: 'Millions of Brits travel abroad over the winter months, so delays should be expected. For more support and less stress, consider a package holiday where flights, transfers and accommodation are included. This way, transfers and arrivals will not be impacted by flight disruptions that are out of your control.'
European Airport Performance Compared
The study's scope extended beyond the UK, revealing significant variation across Europe. Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon was the continent's worst performer, with nearly four in ten flights disrupted—a rate far exceeding most other major hubs. It also suffered the longest average delays, at just over 18 minutes.
Other major European connection points like Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt Airport also ranked poorly for reliability, posing a particular risk for passengers on connecting flights, especially those heading to ski resorts or long-haul destinations.
However, airports in southern European cities demonstrated greater winter resilience. Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas, Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat, and Rome's Leonardo da Vinci International Airport showed disruption levels around 45% lower than Lisbon. Palma de Mallorca's average delays were half those of Lisbon, at just 8.6 minutes, presenting smarter alternatives for winter sun seekers.
Most Disrupted Major UK Airports (Winter)
- Manchester and Heathrow: 29.2%
- Stansted: 28.4%
- Gatwick: 27.4%
- Edinburgh: 26.6%
- Luton: 26.3%
- Birmingham: 26.2%
- Bristol: 25.6%
- Newcastle: 25.2%
- Glasgow: 23.1%
Source: Winter Flight Disruption Index by Erna Low. Figures based on percentage of flights 15 minutes late or cancelled.
