Airline with the worst UK flight delays is named - it's not Ryanair, easyJet or Jet2

The worst for UK flight delays has been revealed in new data with Air India leaving passengers waiting the most. Departures from UK airports were an average of 45 minutes and 48 seconds behind schedule with the carrier in 2024, according to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by the PA news agency.

The most delayed route was to Bangalore, which saw an average hold-up of one hour and 23 minutes over 50 departures. Which? Travel editor Rory Boland slammed Air India's track record as "completely unacceptable". The airline said the delays were "primarily due to factors beyond our control".

Aurigny Air Services from Guernsey came in second place for tardiness, with flights departing the UK on average 31 minutes and 12 seconds late.

They were closely followed by Turkish budget carrier SunExpress, with an average delay of 29 minutes and 36 seconds, and Air Portugal trailing with 25 minutes and 12 seconds.

Meanwhile, Irish airline Emerald Airlines boasted the best punctuality, with UK flights delayed by just 10 minutes and 30 seconds on average.

This analysis considered all scheduled and chartered flights from UK airports by airlines that operated more than 2,500 such flights last year, excluding cancellations.

Overall, the average delay across these carriers was 18 minutes and 18 seconds, showing a slight improvement from 20 minutes and 42 seconds in 2023.

Airline flight delays

This is the full ranking of airlines based on UK flight punctuality in 2024. Airlines are ordered from the longest average delay per departing flight to the shortest (duration in brackets). The analysis took into account all scheduled and chartered departures from UK airports by airlines operating more than 2,500 of these flights last year.

1. Air India (45 minutes and 48 seconds)

2. Aurigny Air Services (31 minutes and 12 seconds)

3. SunExpress (29 minutes and 36 seconds)

4. Air Portugal (25 minutes and 12 seconds)

5. American Airlines (25 minutes)

6. Tui (24 minutes and 18 seconds)

7. Wizz Air (23 minutes and 48 seconds)

8. Swiss Airlines (21 minutes and 48 seconds)

9. Emirates (21 minutes and 36 seconds)

Tata Group took over Air India from the Indian government in January 2022 after the airline accumulated billions in losses.

The airline's UK operations are based in Birmingham, Gatwick and Heathrow, with routes to several Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

According to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, the airline operated 56% more flights from UK airports last year compared to 2019.

This is expected to increase to 90% this year after ramping up flight frequencies on several routes in March.

Aviation consultant John Strickland said there has been "a lot of work going on to put the airline back on track" after it gained a "poor reputation" for delays and cancellations.

This was partly due to a lack of funds to buy spare parts for aircraft, resulting in some of its fleet being grounded.

Mr Strickland said: "They're coming out of this period of malaise pre-the Tata takeover, and now have to put in work on their engineering, manpower, spare parts holding, all those factors."

He said some of Air India's promotion of its new Airbus A350 first class product has focused on the quality of its service.

He noted: "You can have great meals and a great crew, but fundamentally you've got to operate an airline which is as punctual and reliable as possible. That's definitely a work in progress for them."

Rory Boland, editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said: "These latest delay figures will come as no surprise to travellers, who can find themselves paying sky high amounts for air fares and in return receiving unreliable services.

"Air India had an average delay of 45 minutes. This is completely unacceptable. It's time for airlines to get their act together and start delivering the service their customers are paying for."

A spokesperson for Air India remarked: "During 2024, Air India's flights to and from the UK experienced occasional delays, primarily due to factors beyond our control.

"Proactive operational initiatives like self-check-in, baggage drop and automated boarding process have ensured smoother airport touchpoint experience and faster turnaround of aircraft, boosting on-time departures.

"The deployment of the new Airbus A350 and upgraded B787-9 aircraft on some of the UK routes has also helped enhance punctuality of our flight operations.

"Over the first three months of 2025, Air India's on-time performance has seen significant improvement on our direct flights from the UK to India, which also reflects on our NPS (customer satisfaction) scores."

Passengers on delayed UK flights are entitled to assistance including food and drink, communication means, and possible overnight accommodation.

Passengers could claim up to £520 in compensation if the delay is deemed within airline control, such as aircraft faults or crew illness.

Anna Bowles, the head of consumers at CAA, stated: "We expect all airlines operating in the UK to uphold high standards of service and reliability.

"While the majority of airlines have made progress in reducing delays, with the average falling, delays can cause significant disruption and inconvenience to passengers.

"Delays occur for many reasons, and we fully expect that airlines minimise the impact by providing timely information and upholding passengers' rights when it applies."