How reliable is your go-to airport in the UK? Do you often find yourself stuck in a stuffy terminal with no airplane in sight?
As record numbers of us attempt to jet off to spend the festive season with family and friends, or seek out sunnier shores for a well-deserved break, airports can become chaotic hubs reliant on logistics often beyond our control.
Whether it’s down to the availability of planes, technical issues or the likes of the weather – see the UK’s most recent storm, Storm Bram, for instance – many of us are familiar with the dreaded terminal linger.
With the peak travel seasons of Christmas and the New Year approaching, travel eSIM app Saily has analysed two years of official Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data to identify the UK airports and airlines most likely to run on time this December, and those historically most prone to delays.
“Holiday travel puts enormous pressure on airports and airlines, and even small delays can quickly add up. Knowing which hubs typically run smoothly helps travellers plan better – whether that means choosing a different connection or simply adding a bit of buffer time,” says Vykintas Maknickas, Saily’s CEO.
Some of the clearest findings include regional airports like East Midlands and Liverpool consistently outperforming major hubs such as London Heathrow and Edinburgh; some of the most delay-prone airports in the UK.
Saily analysed publicly available Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) flight punctuality statistics for December 2023 and December 2024, piecing together two years’ worth of data to see which are the most reliable airports in the UK. The CAA counts a flight as “on time” if it departs or arrives within 15 minutes of its scheduled time. Only regularly scheduled commercial flights were included.
The most reliable airports in the UK:
Belfast City (George Best): 69.86%
Luton: 70.8%
Bournemouth: 71.1%
Liverpool (John Lennon): 72.5%
East Midlands: 78.3%
The least reliable airports in the UK:
Heathrow: 63.0%
Edinburgh: 62.7%
Isle of Man: 62.6%
Stansted: 61.5%
Gatwick: 59.7%