London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 22, 2026

UK airlines more likely to have delays than their rivals in Europe and around the world

UK airlines more likely to have delays than their rivals in Europe and around the world

A British operator failed to make either of the leaderboards which list the top 10 best airlines in Europe and around the world for avoiding delays.
UK airlines are more likely to have delays compared to their rivals in Europe and around the world, figures for the past year show.

A British operator didn't make any of the leaderboards when the aviation analytics company Cirium put together the top 10 airlines and airports for avoiding delays in 2022.

Cirium put together separate leaderboards for airlines in Europe and around the world, and a single leaderboard for airports across the globe.

The company has not yet released the full rankings below the top 10 but figures show that at least 25% of flights from UK airlines were delayed, since the 10th ranked airline in Europe had a 75% punctuality rating.

The global leader for timeliness is Azul Brazilian Airlines, with 88.93% of arrivals being on time, followed by two Japanese operators, All Nippon Airways with 88.61% and Japan Airlines at 88%.

Haneda Airport, also in Japan, was ranked the most reliable airport for punctuality, with 90.33% of departures taking off on time.

Kempegowda International Airport in India came second with 84.08% of departures being on time.

Six out of the world's top ten most punctual airports were in the US, including Salt Lake City International Airport which was ranked third place with 83.87% of take-offs being on time.

On the European leaderboard, Spanish airlines claimed the top four spots, with Iberia ranked first place for 85.87% of its flights arriving on time.

Air Europa came second, with 84.1% of planes touching down on time, followed by Iberia Express at 83.8%, and Vueling with 82.04%.

Austrian Airlines were ranked the fifth most reliable in Europe with 82% punctuality, followed by Norwegian Air Shuttle at 81.29%.

An airline's flight is classed as on time if it arrives no later than 15 minutes after it is expected, and for an airport if it departs within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.

The rankings are part of Cirium's upcoming On-Time Performance Report, which is the global standard for operational performance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The rise and fall of Hui Ka Yan, China’s richest man
Woke: Britain Considers Plain Packaging for Cigars as Specialist Shops Warn of Industry Collapse
Britain's Public-Service Productivity Remains Below 2019 as £80 Billion Output Gap Fuels WFH Debate
Mandelson Epstein Case in Jeopardy as U.S. Files Stay Out of Reach
Prince Harry and Six Others Ordered to Pay £9.5 Million After High Court Defeat
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Inflation and Energy Risks Persist
UK AI Security Tests Find Autonomous Agent Attempting Malicious Code Injection
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in Second Quarter Amid Global Pressures
UK Joins European Allies in Condemning Israeli Settlement Plans in West Bank E1 Area
Multiple People Killed in A66 Collision Near Middlesbrough Involving Police Vehicle
UK Government Holds First National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism
UK Met Office Warns of Severe Autumn Storms as Strong El Niño Follows Historic Drought
Petrol Bombs Set Luxury Cars Alight Outside Birmingham Wedding as Police Hunt Three Men
Bitcoin Surges Toward $80,000 as Short Squeeze and ETF Inflows Ignite Crypto Rally
Prince Harry and Co-Claimants Ordered to Pay £9.5 Million Toward Daily Mail Publisher’s Legal Costs
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Reportedly Plan Return to Britain With Their Children
UK Court Ruling Threatens Deportation Plans for Potential Trafficking Victims to Albania
Kemi Badenoch Presses UK Government for Decisions on Rosebank and Jackdaw Oil Fields
UK Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Calls for Ban on Goods from Occupied West Bank
Andy Burnham Government to Place Civil Servants Directly in English Mayoral Offices
Met Office Warns Major El Niño Could Bring Stormier, Wetter Autumn to UK
UK Economy Gains Unexpected Momentum Ahead of Andy Burnham Government’s First Budget
Twenty-Nine US States Take Meta to Trial Over Alleged Child Addiction on Instagram and Facebook
Former Scottish National Party Executive Peter Murrell Jailed for Five Years Over £400,000 Embezzlement
Moderna and Merck's Personalized Cancer Vaccine Succeeds in Historic Late-Stage Melanoma Trial
Prince Harry and Meghan to Move Back to Britain With Their Children
England and Wales Have Fewer Than 1,800 Prison Places Left for Men
Royal Navy to Accelerate DragonFire Laser Deployment Against Growing Drone Threat
Northern Ireland Approves Five Hundred Million Pound Belfast Harbour Expansion
Great British Railways Takes Full Control of Avanti West Coast as Rail Nationalisation Reaches Final Stage
UK AI Safety Institute Calls for Mandatory Security Audits of Advanced AI Models
Scotland Secures Three Billion Pounds for Floating Offshore Wind Hub in Aberdeen
Government Overrides Local Councils to Approve Green Belt Housing Across Southern England
UK and EU Move Toward Mutual Recognition of Food Standards to Ease Cross-Channel Trade
Government Plans Multibillion-Pound Private Healthcare Expansion to Cut NHS Surgical Backlogs
Bank of England Signals Faster Rate Cuts as Inflation Falls Below the Two Percent Target
Suspected People Smuggler Arrested After Investigation Identified Him
Children's Doctors Warn That Vaping Can Lead Young People to Smoking
Hundreds of Thousands of Students Receive GCSE and Vocational Results Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Here Is What Can Never Happen in Your Country: Taiwan Is Giving Money to All Its People Because It Collected Too Much Tax
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9% as Energy Bills Jump
UK Issues New Conduct Guide for Asylum Seekers on Consent and Respect
Moderna Shares Surge After Positive Personalized Skin Cancer Trial Results
UK Markets Watch US National Debt Surpass Forty Trillion Dollars
UK Broadcasters Urge Government to Invest in Digital Participation and Broadband
CVC Capital Partners and Standard Life Launch Two Billion Pound Pension Risk Transfer Venture
UK Private Sector Productivity Growth Accelerates in Second Quarter
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Condemns Israeli E1 Settlement Tender
UK Watchdog Investigates Trainline, Virgin Atlantic and RED Driving School Over Hidden Fees
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Plan Move to Private Home Outside London
×