Gatwick Airport worst in UK for flight delays for second year

Gatwick has removed its position as the United Kingdom’s sausage airport for flight delays, since it continues to suffer the interruption of air traffic control (ATC), as it shows the data.

The outputs of the West Sussex airport were an average of more than 23 minutes delayed in 2024, according to the analysis of the data of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

This is an improvement of almost 27 minutes.

A Gatwick Airport spokesman said: “Air traffic control restrictions in other parts of Europe continued to impact the airport. Together with our airlines, we have established a robust plan … to improve performance on time in 2025.”

Gatwick, which is the second most busy airport in the United Kingdom, was severely affected by the shortage of ATC personnel in continental Europe in 2024, and suffered the same problem in its own control tower.

Flights from Birmingham airport had the second poorest punctuality record last year, with an average delay of more than 21 minutes.

In third place was Manchester airport, with 20 minutes.

Belfast City airport registered the best punctuality performance in the United Kingdom for the second consecutive year, with an average flight per flight of less than 12 minutes.

Depending on the distance of the route and the duration of the delay, the passengers reserved on flights from the United Kingdom airports that are at the schedule can be entitled to compensation.

However, ATC problems are considered an “extraordinary circumstance”, which means that affected passengers are not entitled to compensation.

Gatwick spokesman says that the airport is “the one -efficient career airport in the world, with the flight department or that it arrives every 55 seconds.”

The Secretary of Transportation, Heidi Alexander, said in February that she was prepared to support Gatwick’s expansion plan to put her emergency routine use, if the project is adjusted.

The airport has until Thursday to answer.

A spokesman for Manchester airport says he is “committed to doing everything in our power to support all our carriers to achieve the best possible exit rates.”

Additional media P reports.