London Gatwick has once again been named the UK’s most delay-prone airport, according to official figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Flights from the West Sussex airport departed an average of 23 minutes late in 2024 — the worst performance among Britain’s major airports for the second consecutive year.
The delay figure marks a slight improvement on 2023, when average departure delays reached 27 minutes. Nonetheless, Gatwick remained bottom of the punctuality table, narrowly behind Birmingham and Manchester airports, where average delays were 21 and 20 minutes respectively.
The figures, compiled by the PA news agency, analysed scheduled and chartered departures from 22 UK airports with at least 1,000 flights last year. Belfast City (George Best) airport recorded the best performance, with average delays under 12 minutes.
A key factor in Gatwick’s poor showing has been air traffic control disruption, including staff shortages at the airport’s outsourced control tower operated by Nats, the UK’s national air traffic services provider. While such issues have impacted airports across Europe, Gatwick faced unique challenges that contributed to the persistent delays.
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