No Improvement in Punctuality of Flights Leaving the UK's Busiest Airports According to CAA Analysis 2015!

In the recent UK flight delay news, the CAA reports flights have not improved punctuality rates over the past 12 months that leave most of the UK’s busiest airports. In airline delay news, UK numbers illustrate the average delay for flights were 12 minutes when compared to last year. New figures disclosed by the CAA show airline on time performance dropped an entire one percent between 2013 and 2014. Research showed chartered flights being operated out of the UK left 13 minutes from scheduled time.

In the final quarter of 2014, between October and December, 78 percent of scheduled flights were punctual, two percentage lower than the numbers in 2013. Among 75 international flights, the UK had the highest number of flights in the fourth quarter of 2014, the highest number of on time performing flights were recorded at Billund, Denmark with an 87% punctuality record. Flights into New Delhi, India had the lowest performance, numbers with 58 percent punctuality as well as the longest delay of 30 minutes. Flights to and from Rotterdam showed a seven minute average delay, the lowest average.

In 2014, 1.4 million passenger flights at the top 10 UK airports were screened for punctuality representing a three percent rise in flights from 2013. The average departure time for chartered flights was 18 minutes later than the scheduled time. The percentage of late departures also rose. In 2013, airlines left 17 minutes later. 2013 saw a rise in the percentage of flight departures that were delayed. 2013 also saw over 70 percent of chartered flights departing on schedule. 2014 numbers pointed to 73 percent of chartered flights taking off on time.

2014 saw over 69,000 chartered flights taking off from UK airports were observed for on-time performance. The data showed the overall on-time performance being a dismal four percent drop in percentage from 2013. The average delay for chartered flights had also dropped 17 minutes in 2013 to 18 minutes in 2014.

Flights taking off from London City’s Airport ranked highest in punctuality with only 12 percent of all flights being delayed. While flights from the UK heading to Istanbul ranked lowest in punctuality showing nearly 44 percent of all flights being delayed while Bangkok flights got delayed by only 27 minutes.

Between 2013 and 2014, scheduled flights leaving on time dropped one percent to hit 79 percent. CAA has collated information for the published report taking numbers from Heathrow, Gatwick, Glasgow, Luton, Newcastle, Birmingham, Manchester and Stansted airports. While Manchester, Heathrow and Newcastle each saw personal improvements in punctuality, Luton saw the biggest drop in performance – a five percentage point differential.

The CAA policy-director, Iain Osborne commented on the data saying it was shocking. His explanation for the delays were factors like air traffic controller strikes as well as bad weather that could not be controlled by airports or airlines, yet had a negative effect on their performance.