London Gatwick has once again earned the unfortunate title of the UK’s most delay-prone airport, topping the national rankings for the second consecutive year.

According to newly released figures compiled by the PA news agency using Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data, passengers departing from Gatwick in 2024 experienced average delays of 23 minutes. While that figure marks a slight improvement on the previous year’s 27-minute average, the airport still ranks last among 22 UK airports with at least 1,000 departures last year.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Belfast City (George Best) Airport was named the UK’s most punctual, with departures delayed by an average of just 11 minutes.

Overall, punctuality improved across the country, with average UK airport delays falling from 20 minutes and 42 seconds in 2023 to 18 minutes and 24 seconds in 2024.

A spokesperson for Gatwick responded to the findings, highlighting the airport’s operational scale:

“London Gatwick is proud to be the world’s most efficient single-runway airport, with a flight taking off or landing every 55 seconds and connections to over 220 global destinations. In 2024, 59% of our flights departed on time, with our On Time Performance improving by 4% year-on-year.”

The spokesperson acknowledged external factors such as European air traffic control restrictions as key contributors to delays but said the airport is taking action:

“We’ve implemented a robust plan with our airline partners to improve performance further in 2025. This includes advanced technology like our Smart Stand system and the adoption of NATS’ new Intelligent Approach, which replaces fixed-distance separation with dynamic, time-based spacing for incoming aircraft to improve landing efficiency.”

Commenting on the findings, CAA director Selina Chadha said:

“The industry works hard to keep flights on time, but delays do happen. What matters most is how airlines and airports minimise disruption and uphold their legal responsibilities to passengers.”

Average Departure Delays by UK Airport in 2024:

1. Gatwick – 23 minutes
2. Birmingham – 21 minutes
3. Manchester – 20 minutes
4. Stansted – 19 minutes
5. Teesside – 19 minutes
6. Exeter – 19 minutes
7. Edinburgh – 18 minutes
8. Bournemouth – 17 minutes
9. Luton – 17 minutes
10. Cardiff – 17 minutes
11. Heathrow – 17 minutes
12. Newcastle – 17 minutes
13. Bristol – 17 minutes
14. Southampton – 16 minutes
15. Leeds Bradford – 16 minutes
16. Glasgow – 15 minutes
17. London City – 15 minutes
18. Belfast International – 14 minutes
19. Aberdeen – 13 minutes
20. Liverpool – 12 minutes
21. East Midlands – 12 minutes
22. Belfast City – 11 minutes