- Isle of Man Airport has the longest average delay in the UK, at 32 minutes and four seconds
- Despite past delays, the airport reduced delay times by 41% in 2024
- The Isle of Man, Gatwick, Southend, Birmingham and Manchester make up the top five
A new study has revealed the UK airports with the longest average delays.
The study, conducted by expert casino analysts SlotsCalendar, looked at data from the UK Civil Aviation Authority regarding flight punctuality between January 2022 and November 2024 for 25 of the most popular commercial airports.
The average departure delay was looked at for the flights over the two years to determine the airports with the longest average departure delay. Additionally, 2024’s data was compared to 2023 to see whether the average delay has increased or decreased.
Top 25 airports with the longest departure delays
| Rank | Airport | Average departure delay (2022 – 2024) |
Average change in delay (2023 to 2024) |
| 1 | Isle of Man | 32 minutes 4 seconds | -41% |
| 2 | Gatwick | 25 minutes 46 seconds | -12% |
| 3 | Southend | 24 minutes 5 seconds | 16% |
| 4 | Birmingham | 22 minutes 46 seconds | -5% |
| 5 | Manchester | 22 minutes 4 seconds | -12% |
| 6 | Teesside International | 21 minutes 57 seconds | -13% |
| 7 | Edinburgh | 21 minutes 45 seconds | -18% |
| 8 | Jersey | 21 minutes 5 seconds | -2% |
| 9 | Aberdeen | 20 minutes 52 seconds | -13% |
| 10 | Luton | 20 minutes 46 seconds | -22% |
| 11 | Heathrow | 20 minutes 45 seconds | -15% |
| 12 | Cardiff | 20 minutes 18 seconds | 24% |
| 13 | Newcastle | 19 minutes 46 seconds | -4% |
| 14 | Belfast International | 19 minutes 35 seconds | -22% |
| 15 | Bristol | 19 minutes 22 seconds | -20% |
| 16 | Bournemouth | 18 minutes 39 seconds | -11% |
| 17 | Exeter | 18 minutes 32 seconds | 26% |
| 18 | Stansted | 18 minutes 22 seconds | 4% |
| 19 | Southampton | 17 minutes 51 seconds | 9% |
| 20 | Glasgow | 17 minutes 40 seconds | -5% |
| 21 | Leeds Bradford | 17 minutes 14 seconds | -4% |
| 22 | London City | 16 minutes 20 seconds | -2% |
| 23 | Liverpool (John Lennon) | 16 minutes 19 seconds | -7% |
| 24 | Belfast City (George Best) | 16 minutes 12 seconds | -11% |
| 25 | East Midlands International | 14 minutes 46 seconds | -23% |
The study revealed that the Isle of Man Airport experiences the longest average delay, lasting around 32 minutes and four seconds. The airport, located in Ballasalla, is one of the smallest on the list and reported just over 652,000 passengers last year. Despite having the longest average delay over the three years assessed, between 2023 and 2024, the airport saw a 41% reduction in delays – from 40 minutes and 10 seconds in 2023 down to 23 minutes and 52 seconds in 2024.
In second place is Gatwick, with an average delay of 25 minutes and 46 seconds. As the second-largest airport in the UK, handling over 40 million passengers a year, long delays significantly disrupt many people’s travel plans. In 2023, the average delay was 27 minutes and 17 seconds, decreasing by 12% in 2024 to 23 minutes and 52 seconds.
Ranking in third place is Southend. Over the last couple of years, the average departure delay has stood at 24 minutes and five seconds. Between 2023 and 2024, Southend Airport saw a 16% increase in waiting times, rising from 21 minutes and 46 seconds to 25 minutes and 10 seconds – the only airport in the top 10 to have experienced an increase. Despite this, the airport’s latest figures show a 93% increase in passengers from 2023, so the longer delay may be due in part to this.
Birmingham Airport recorded the fourth-longest delay, with travellers waiting an average of 22 minutes and 46 seconds. The airport was granted a runway extension in 2014, allowing more long-haul flights to operate, and is the UK’s seventh-largest airport. In 2023, over 11 million passengers passed through its doors, though their average wait time was 5% longer than in 2024.
Manchester Airport, the UK’s largest airport outside London, ranks in fifth place with an average delay of 22 minutes and four seconds. The airport handled over 30 million passengers in a 12-month period by September last year, making it one of the busiest in the country. To passengers’ delight, the average delay time dropped by 12% between 2023 and 2024, with the latter year’s wait time standing at 20 minutes and six seconds.
Teesside International saw the sixth-longest delay, with an average wait time of 21 minutes and 57 seconds. Even smaller than the Isle of Man Airport, Teesside International serves around 150,000 to 200,000 passengers annually and operated as an RAF airport for most of its history. The airport has won the ‘Best Airport for Leisure Travel’ award from the British Travel Awards (voted for by the public) two years in a row (2023 and 2024) and also saw a 13% decrease in delay times between 2023 and 2024.
Next in line, Edinburgh Airport ranks in seventh place. Between 2022 and 2024, the average departure delay stood at 21 minutes and 45 seconds. In 2023, the airport served over 14 million passengers, though the average wait time was 18% longer than in 2024.
In eighth place is Jersey Airport, with an average delay of 21 minutes and five seconds. In their 2023 report, roughly 1.4 million passengers travelled through the airport.
Ranking in ninth place is Aberdeen Airport, with an average delay of 20 minutes and 52 seconds. It is followed by Luton, with an average wait time of 20 minutes and 46 seconds.
Just missing out on the top 10 is the UK’s largest airport, Heathrow. Here, the average delay stands at 20 minutes and 45 seconds. Between 2023 and 2024, the airport saw a 15% decrease in the average waiting time, dropping to just 18 minutes and 29 seconds in 2024. Heathrow, the busiest airport in the UK, handled 79.2 million passengers in 2023, and with news that a third runway may be approved, passenger numbers are expected to rise once the expansion is finalised.
Commenting on the findings, Viorel Stan, CEO of SlotsCalendar, said, “Airport delays can be devastating for travellers, so it is crucial that airports do more to prevent them. Even a 10-minute delay can be frustrating, but it is encouraging to see that many airports on this list have managed to reduce their delay times between 2023 and 2024.
“With news of Heathrow’s third runway potentially opening – though not for at least a decade if plans proceed – many visitors will be curious about the impact on passengers. Will delays increase, both at security and at the flight level? How will local residents react? Will more destinations be added? There are many questions surrounding this development, and it will be interesting to see how the government and the airport collaborate to ensure all parties are satisfied.
“One thing is certain: passengers want delays to be minimised. Starting or ending a holiday abroad with a delay can put a damper on the experience, and it is in the airlines’ best interests to avoid this. Of course, some factors, such as bad weather, are beyond their control, but each airport has a duty to ensure passengers are well cared for in such events and to remove any unnecessary barriers to smooth travel.”
