Gatwick named worst offender for flight delays of moe than three hours
Delayed airline passengers could be missing out on millions of pounds in compensation, according to an investigation from watchdog Which?.
Read more: Decline in Brits abroad as holiday makers opt to stay home this summer
From June 2014 to May 2015 more than 9,000 flights in the UK were delayed for three hours or more with 2,134 flights at Gatwick alone making it the worst offender.
The investigation found that around 900,000 passengers were eligible to receive compensation for their disrupted journeys – but only one in four did.
Passengers travelling within the European Union delayed for over three hours could be entitled to between €400 and €600 (£425) in compensation.
Read more: British Airways is shrinking its hand luggage allowance to reduce risk of delays
Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said:
Flight delays are a disappointing and stressful reality for people travelling abroad this summer. The last thing you need is a long wait at the airport, but sadly this is going to be the case for many holidaymakers.
We are urging people to hold their airline to account and claim the compensation they are rightly owed if they have a lengthy day.
Worst UK airports
The average delay for flights at Gatwick was 16.8 minutes according to data sourced from the Civil Aviation Authority, with 0.8 per cent of flights more than three hours late.
Heathrow actually had more overall delays (2,192) but just 0.5 per cent were for more than three hours.
| Airport | Flights > 3 hours late | Average delay | Total no. of flights | Approx no. delayed flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gatwick |
0.8% | 16.8 mins | 255,839 | 2,134 |
| Cardiff Wales | 0.7% | 12.8 mins | 7,239 | 52 |
| Manchester | 0.6% | 13.5 mins | 162,209 | 1,049 |
| Luton | 0.6% | 13.4 mins | 75,069 | 439 |
| Jersey | 0.6% | 14.9 mins | 14,060 | 80 |
Worst airlines for short-haul flights
Vueling, Monarch and Thomas Cook accounted for 700 delayed short haul flights during the monitored period.
| Airline | Flights > 3 hours late | Average delay | Total no. of flights | Approx no. delayed flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vueling Airlines | 1.2% | 19.9 mins | 4,936 | 59 |
| Monarch Airlines | 1.2% | 15 mins | 35,330 | 412 |
| Thomas Cook Airlines | 1.1% | 16.3 mins | 21,119 | 241 |
| Loganair | 1% | 15.6 mins | 24,894 | 243 |
| Aurigny Air Services | 0.9% | 13 mins | 8,763 | 83 |
Worst airlines for long-haul flights
For long haul flights, Pakistan International Airlines, Air India and American Airlines were the worst offenders and together accounted for over 700 flights.
| Airline | Flights > 3 hours late | Average delay | Total no. of flights | Approx no. delayed flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan Intnl Airlines | 6.6% | 55 mins | 2,156 | 143 |
| Air India | 3.5% | 30.9 mins | 2,724 | 95 |
| American Airlines | 1.6% | 18.8 mins | 11,045 | 180 |
| Thomson Airways | 1.5% | 23.4 mins | 8,312 | 128 |
| US Airways | 1,3% | 17.3 mins | 3,493 | 44 |