Wizz Air named worst airline for flight delays – see full list

A major new study has revealed the worst airlines with UK flight delays.

The analysis considered all scheduled and charter departures from UK airports by airlines operating more than 2,500 flights. Canceled flights were not included.

The average delay for all these flights was 20 minutes and 42 seconds, down from 23 minutes in 2022.

Wizz Air was rated as the worst airline, despite a sharp increase in prices.

The low-cost carrier’s departures from UK airports were on average 31 minutes and 36 seconds behind schedule in 2023, according to an analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by the PA news agency.

This was a reduction of almost a third compared to 2022, but means the airline has recorded the worst flight punctuality in the UK for three consecutive years.

Wizz Air said it had made “significant improvements” but acknowledged “there is still work to be done”.

Turkish Airlines had the second worst punctuality last year with an average delay of 28 minutes and 36 seconds.

It was followed by Tui (28 minutes and 24 seconds), Air India (28 minutes and 12 seconds) and Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines (25 minutes and six seconds).

The full ranking of airlines based on flight punctuality in the United Kingdom in 2023

Airlines are listed from longest average delay per departure flight to shortest (duration in parentheses).

Consumer Group Which? said airline passengers were in the “outrageous position” of paying record air fares for “unreliable services”.

Irish carrier Emerald Airlines had the best performance last year with an average delay of just 13 minutes and six seconds, followed by Virgin Atlantic (13 minutes and 42 seconds).

Wizz Air’s UK operations serve Aberdeen, Birmingham, Gatwick, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool and Luton.

Despite its poor on-time performance in the UK, the airline, which operates in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and other parts of Asia, carried a record 62.0 million passengers in the year to the end of March, up more than a fifth. a total of 51.1 million in the previous 12 months.

In the same period, Wizz Air posted a pre-tax profit of €341.1m (£290.4m) as its revenue from seat availability grew by 11.2% year-on-year, which was similar to the increase in fares across the country. aviation sector.

Aviation consultant John Strickland said Wizz Air had “a lot of unhappy customers” – especially in 2022 – as it struggled with punctuality due to being “too ambitious” about how many flights it could reliably operate after since the coronavirus travel restrictions have been eased.

He said the airline had “spent a lot of effort” to improve through measures such as rescheduling and having more standby aircraft available, but “the fruits of this will not be seen immediately”.

Asked why it was able to increase passenger numbers despite the delays, Mr Strickland cited factors such as “price competitiveness” and the largest capacity on many routes serving Central and Eastern Europe.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “These latest delay figures will come as no surprise to travelers as they find themselves in the outrageous situation of paying record sums for air tickets and receiving unreliable service in return.

“Wizz Air recently came last in our annual airline satisfaction survey and it’s clear that its passengers are still having a hot time.

“It’s time for airlines to get their act together and start delivering the service their customers pay for – including making sure they invest properly in their customer service teams.

“When delays and cancellations occur, there can be no excuse for airlines not to meet their legal obligations – including quickly refunding or re-routing customers and ensuring they are offered food and accommodation as needed.”

Wizz Air was in the annual report Which? released in February, with survey respondents giving it an average of one out of five stars for customer service and seat comfort.

A spokeswoman for Wizz Air said: “In 2022, like all airlines in Europe, Wizz Air experienced extraordinary operational problems caused mainly by the external environment.

“Since then we have invested more than £90m in stabilizing traffic, reducing delays and providing a better customer experience.

“While we have seen significant improvements in 2023, there is still work to be done.

“Helping our customers get to their destination is our number one priority and we will continue to invest in our services to ensure they get there on time.”

She added that the airline’s current performance is “among the strongest in the industry”, with a record punctuality that is “the highest among our direct competitors” and “the best flight completion rate in the whole of Europe”.

In January, the CAA said its enforcement action against Wizz Air had resulted in the airline paying a total of £1.2 million to UK passengers whose financial claims were reassessed after they were initially rejected.

This included payments of money owed for expenses such as replacement flights, meals and hotel rooms during the breach.

Dale Keller, chief executive of the UK Airline Representatives Board, the body representing airlines operating in the UK, described 2023 as “an extremely challenging year, particularly in the summer”.

He said many of the delays were caused by factors beyond the airlines’ control, such as air traffic control disruptions including strikes in France and the collapse of the National Air Traffic Services on August 28, which disrupted flights through UK airports.

He added that airlines are confident their operations are “in a pretty good place” and punctuality is “exponentially improving” this year.