Manchester Airport has launched a robust defence after being named the worst major UK airport for flight delays during the first half of 2025, dismissing the findings as misleading to passengers.
The Damning Statistics Revealed
Fresh analysis of Civil Aviation Authority data by AirAdvisor uncovered that just 71.5% of flights departed on time from Manchester Airport between January and June 2025. This performance falls significantly below the national average of 77% for UK airports.
The airport, which serves as Britain's largest air travel hub outside London, now finds itself at the bottom of the punctuality rankings among major UK airports. However, the figures do show a slight improvement compared to the same period in 2024, when only 69.5% of flights departed on schedule.
Airport's Forceful Response
Manchester Airport immediately challenged the report's implications, arguing that numerous external factors beyond their control significantly impact flight punctuality.
A spokesperson for the airport stated: "The punctuality of flights can be affected by a number of factors, most of which are outside of an airport's control."
The airport highlighted several key issues contributing to delays, including extreme weather conditions, airline crew shortages, delays to inbound flights, and continental air traffic control problems. They specifically mentioned capacity restrictions and industrial action affecting European airspace.
Why Manchester's Figures Suffer More
The airport's extensive global network and status as a major international hub actually work against it in these statistics, according to their defence. Manchester Airport connects passengers to more than 200 destinations worldwide, with numerous long-haul routes originating from Asia and the Middle East.
This creates a domino effect where delays at the point of origin, such as Dubai or Singapore, cascade into Manchester's timetable when these aircraft arrive late for their return journeys. These delays then appear in the official CAA statistics against Manchester Airport's name.
Additional complications include air traffic control staffing shortages across Europe and ongoing airspace restrictions in regions including Russia, the Middle East, and Pakistan.
How Other UK Airports Performed
The AirAdvisor analysis revealed a challenging picture for airports across the country. Birmingham International Airport followed closely behind Manchester with 72.5% of flights departing on time, while Stansted and Bournemouth airports tied for third-worst position with 73.5% punctuality.
The Civil Aviation Authority, which collects data from 25 UK airports, defines a flight as 'on time' if it departs or arrives at the gate within 15 minutes of its scheduled time.
The complete ranking of the ten worst-performing major airports for delays in 2025 shows:
- Manchester - 71.5% on time
- Birmingham International - 72.5%
- Stansted and Bournemouth - 73.5%
- Bristol - 74.5%
- Teeside - 75%
- Newcastle, Gatwick and Jersey - 75.5%
- Exeter - 76%
- Edinburgh - 76.5%
- Southampton - 76.5%
- Cardiff - 77.5%
Despite the challenging statistics, Manchester Airport maintains that "passengers can feel assured that the vast majority of flights that leave Manchester Airport do so on time" and suggests that some companies use such data to promote their own services rather than provide accurate context to travellers.
