Airports are stressful at the best of times. Even after the suitcases are checked in and the boarding passes are given out, everyone still seems on edge and ready to snap at the mildest inconvenience.
And a delayed flight can often be the breaking point. But what if you knew the likelihood of such a scenario and therefore could arrive a bit more mentally prepared? Well, compensation experts Bott and Co have done a bit of digging to help do just that, revealing the flight routes least likely to take off from the UK on time.
Journeys from London Gatwick to Dublin were apparently delayed the most since the start of April 2022, with 82 flights still on the ground after the scheduled departure time.
It turns out that Gatwick is one of the worst culprits for delayed flights overall. Routes from the London airport to Milan and Barcelona saw 76 and 64 delays respectively, while 58 flights to Palma and 52 to Malaga also failed to leave on time. Other routes on the top ten list included Manchester to Palma and Birmingham to Dublin.
Gatwick managed to dominate, but it might have some close competition. Back in May PA reported that Birmingham Airport was actually the least reliable airport in the country, with passengers having to wait an average of half an hour past scheduled departure time to take off.
A Bott and Co spokesperson said that Gatwick’s high numbers of delays are ‘down to the volume of flights heading out of Gatwick compared to some of the smaller UK airports.’
Aviation strikes in Europe have also contributed to the increase in delayed flights and Stuart Wingate, Gatwick’s chief executive, warned that the French strikes ‘affect almost every movement from the UK.’
Here are routes most likely to be delayed, according to Bott and Co.
- London Gatwick – Dublin: 82 delays
- London Gatwick – Milan MXP: 76 delays
- London Gatwick – Barcelona: 64 delays
- London Gatwick – Palma de Mallorca: 58 delays
- London Gatwick – Malaga: 52 delays
- Manchester – Palma de Mallorca: 47 delays
- London Gatwick – Nice: 46 delays
- Birmingham – Dublin: 41 delays
- London Gatwick – Faro: 39 delays
- London Gatwick – Rome: 38 delays
So now you know which routes to avoid on yer next holiday! Or at least you’ll be able to manage your expectations better...
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