Tiny Exeter sixth worst performing airport in country for flight delays

EXETER Airport is near the bottom of a league table for UK flight delays.

- by BUSINESS REPORTER

Passengers were delayed by an average of 19 minutes last year, according to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by the Press Association news agency.

Of the 22 airports ranked for flight punctuality, Exeter was sixth worst, a poor performance taking into consideration the volume of flights compared to an airport like London Heathrow, which was one minute and 36 seconds more efficient per flight, and Bristol, which was nearly two minutes per flight better.

Gatwick retained its position as the UK’s worst airport for flight delays as it suffered from air traffic control (ATC) disruption. Departures from the West Sussex airport were on average more than 23 minutes behind schedule in 2024. This represents an improvement from nearly 27 minutes during the previous 12 months but is longer than at any other UK airport.