By Neil Shaw,Steven Smith
Copyright dailyrecord
New data reveals that six airlines with significant UK operations are experiencing worse flight delays than before the Covid-19 pandemic. The consumer group Which? analysed and found that British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair, Tui and Wizz Air were less timely in the 12 months leading up to April’s end compared to their performance in 2019, prior to the pandemic. Tui was singled out as the worst performer among the airlines included in the study, which utilised Civil Aviation Authority data. A mere 59.2% of Tui’s UK departures took off within 15 minutes of the scheduled time in 2024/25, a drop from 67.2% in 2019. The airlines have pointed fingers at air traffic control (ATC) staff shortages and industrial action as the primary culprits for the disruption to their flights. Eurocontrol, the European air traffic management body, has stated that the number of ATC officers in some parts of the network is 10-20% below what is required to manage demand. However, Nats, the UK ATC provider, maintains that it is fully staffed, reports Wales Online . Airlines are not obligated to compensate for delays that are beyond their control – such as ATC issues – and in some cases, passengers may find it challenging to determine the true cause of disruption. Here is the percentage of UK departures within 15 minutes of the schedule for six airlines in 2024/25 and 2019: Naomi Leach, deputy editor of magazine Which? Travel, said: “Our analysis shows that many airlines are less punctual than before the pandemic, which will come as no surprise to those travellers who have experienced delays. Airlines need to improve how they communicate with and support passengers during delays, ensuring they inform travellers about their right to claim compensation. “Thousands of travellers could be entitled to compensation if they have faced delays, so it is always worth putting a claim in with your airline and escalating the complaint if it refuses to pay compensation.” Tui insisted punctuality remains a top priority but stressed that preventing flight cancellations is “even more important” as holidaymakers “want to fly to their destination”. EasyJet claimed it does “all possible” to reduce delays, whilst Wizz Air argued some hold-ups are beyond its control and it does “whatever we can to avoid cancellations”. British Airways and Jet2 declined to comment. A Ryanair spokesman said: “We don’t provide comments for Which fake stories.”
