Birmingham Airport delays are worst in the UK again
Birmingham Airport was the worst in the UK for flight delays for a second year in a row, an investigation has found.
Departures from the West Midlands airport were half an hour behind schedule on average in 2022, according to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority data released today..
That was more than twice as long as the previous year, when it was also ranked last for punctuality.
The airport defended its record after the disruption of Covid and said it is now “running smoothly”.
East Midlands Airport, which is a direct rival to Birmingham, had the best performance, with an average delay of just 13 minutes. The average across all airports in the UK was 23 minutes.
Some 10.3 million passengers travelled through Birmingham Airport last year, making it the seventh busiest in the UK.
In addition to flight delays, many people were forced to spend several hours in long queues for check-in due to security shortages. Around 50 airlines operate at the airport, including Ryanair, Jet2.com, Tui Airways, Air France and Emirates.
Airport delays ranked:
1. Birmingham 30 mins
=2. Manchester 29 mins
=2. Doncaster Sheffield 29 mins
4. Luton 28 mins
5. Gatwick 27 mins
6. Bristol 26 mins
=7. Cardiff 24 mins
=7. Edinburgh 24 mins
9. Heathrow 22 mins
=10. Newcastle 21 mins
=10. Isle of Man 21 mins
=10. Aberdeen 21 mins
=13. Leeds Bradford 20 mins
=13. Southend 20 mins
=15. Glasgow 19 mins
=15. Stansted 19 mins
=15. Southampton 19 mins
=15. Bournemouth 19 mins
=19. London City 17 mins
=19. Jersey 17 mins
21. Belfast International 16 mins
=22. Liverpool John Lennon 15 mins
=22. Belfast City 15 mins
=24. Exeter 14 mins
=24. Teesside 14 mins
26. East Midlands 13 mins
We are getting there, Birmingham Airport insists after delays poll blow
Birmingham Airport today defended its record after it was named the worst in the UK for flight delays for a second year in a row.
It says the situation has improved markedly following a difficult period caused by Covid.
The airport was affected by difficulties in scaling up again after the disruption of coronavirus, suffering from a shortage of security staff that led to long queues and delays.
With staffing levels now at pre-Covid levels, the airport says it is now running more smoothly and that new infrastructure will help further.
A Birmingham Airport spokesman said: “The start of 2022 was devastated by Covid. After travel restrictions were lifted, the aviation industry fought hard to recover.
“This year, the first since 2020 not impacted by Covid, our airport is running smoothly, with customers set to equal or exceed pre-pandemic numbers.
“Customers using Birmingham Airport this summer can expect changes to walking routes as we build our £40 million new security hall, set to be ready for June 2024.”
Departures from Birmingham were half an hour behind schedule on average in 2022, according to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data. That was more than twice as long as the previous year, when it was also ranked last for punctuality.
Doncaster Sheffield – which closed in November – and Manchester airports had the joint second poorest punctuality records in 2022, with an average delay of 29 minutes. They were followed by Luton (28 minutes), Gatwick (27 minutes) and Bristol (26 minutes) airports.
When flights are significantly delayed, airlines are required under consumer laws to provide passengers with assistance, which can include refreshments, a means of communication and accommodation if required.
If the cause of disruption is under an airline’s control, passengers are also due compensation of up to £520 depending on the length of the delay and the distance of the flight.
May and June were the worst months for flight reliability in 2022 as the aviation sector failed to recruit and train enough staff to cope with a surge in demand for holidays.
Some 10.3 million passengers travelled through Birmingham Airport last year, making it the seventh busiest in the UK.
In addition to flight delays, many departing passengers were forced to spend several hours in long queues for check-in and security.
Rory Boland, editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said: “Your choice of airport shouldn’t make or break your trip, but for too many travellers last year that was sadly their experience.
“A repeat of last year’s chaos cannot be allowed to stand again, and airports and airlines must ensure they’re working together to ensure they can deliver their summer schedules as promised, while the Government must urgently grant the CAA the powers it needs to hold the industry to account.
“With at least some level of disruption sadly probable as we head into another busy travel season, airports’ delay records are something some travellers may well want to take into consideration, even if that involves travelling slightly further from home.”
CAA head of consumer policy and enforcement Anna Bowles said: “Our data tells us that too many passengers faced disappointing levels of delays across UK airports last year.
“It is important consumers experience a high-quality service from both airlines and airports this year.
“We expect airlines to proactively provide passengers with information about their rights when flights are disrupted.”
