Manchester Airport named UK's second worst airport for delays and cancellations this summer

The study, conducted by data collection experts SOAX, analysed data on flight cancellations and delays for 25 UK airports based on Civil Aviation Authority reports.

The airports have been given an index score between 0 and 10, with 10 being the least reliable. Those with the highest cancellation rates and highest average delay times from May to August between 2022 and 2024 have been named the worst in summer 2025.

Gatwick Airport leads as the least reliable airport, with a final index score of 6.9 out of 10. According to the study, the airport has a cancellation rate of 1.8% and passengers waited for an average of 28 minutes in 2024.

Southend Airport, Manchester Airport, and Aberdeen Airport share second place. Manchester ended with a final index score of 5.1 out of 10. Passengers waited an average of 24.9 minutes for flights in summer 2024. Whilst this is better than the 35-minute delays in 2022, the cancellation rate remained low at 1.0% for 2024.

Stepan Solovev, CEO & Co-founder of SOAX, said: "While there has been general improvement in flight punctuality across UK airports since 2022, passengers travelling through certain airports are still facing significant delays. The 28-minute average delay at Gatwick may not sound dramatic, but it represents thousands of hours of wasted time collectively for travellers.”

He said: "What is particularly interesting is how airports with similar cancellation rates can have vastly different delay times. For instance, Birmingham and Luton both have cancellation rates of 0.7%, yet their average delay times differ. This suggests that some airports are managing their operations more efficiently than others despite similar challenges.”

Adding: "These findings come at a critical time as many people reflect on their summer travel experiences. For passengers who experience significant delays or cancellations this summer, they may be entitled to compensation under current regulations if their flight is delayed by more than three hours or cancelled."