Birmingham retains its title as the worst airport for flight delays

Birmingham Airport was the worst in the UK for flight delays for the second year in a row, an investigation has found.

Departures from the West Midlands airport were on average half an hour behind schedule in 2022, according to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by the PA news agency.

This was more than twice as long as the previous year, when it also ranked last for punctuality.

The airport said it was “running smoothly” this year.

Doncaster Sheffield Airports – which closed in November – and Manchester Airports had the second worst 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).

East Midlands Airport performed best, with an average delay of just 13 minutes.

The average across all airports was 23 minutes.

The analysis considered all scheduled and charter departures. Canceled flights were not included.

When flights are significantly delayed, airlines are required under consumer protection laws to provide passengers with assistance, which may include refreshments, a means of communication and accommodation if necessary.

If the cause of the disruption is within an airline’s control, passengers also receive 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 increased holiday demand.

Around 10.3 million passengers traveled through Birmingham Airport last year, making it the seventh busiest in the UK.

In addition to flight delays, many departing passengers had to spend several hours in long lines for check-in and security.

Around 50 airlines operate from the airport, such as Ryanair, Jet2.com, Tui Airways, Air France and Emirates.

A spokesman for Birmingham Airport said: “The start of 2022 has been devastated by Covid.

“After travel restrictions were lifted, the aviation industry has struggled to recover.

“This year, the first of 2020 not affected by Covid, our airport is operating smoothly, with customers set to match or exceed pre-pandemic numbers.

“Customers using Birmingham Airport this summer can expect changes to walking routes as we build our new £40m security hall, which is due to be ready in June 2024.”

Rory Boland, editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said: “Your choice of airport shouldn’t make or break your trip, but for too many travelers last year that was unfortunately their experience.

“The chaos of last year cannot be allowed to repeat itself and airports and airlines must ensure they work together to ensure they can deliver their summer schedule as promised, while the government must urgently give the CAA the powers to which they must own. the industry to account.

“With at least some level of disruption, unfortunately likely as we head into another busy travel season, airport delay check-ins are something some travelers may want to consider, even if it means travel a little further from home.”

The CAA’s head of consumers, Anna Bowles, said: “Our data tells us that too many passengers experienced disappointing levels of delays at UK airports last year.

“It is important that consumers experience 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.”