Belfast airports flight delays- find out which routes are the worst for delays and cancellations

Annie Gouk

28 June 2024 at 7:06 am·3-min read

There’s nothing worse than starting your holiday languishing in the airport waiting for a delayed flight, but some routes are particularly bad for punctuality.

Analysis of the latest figures from the Civil Aviation Authority reveals that 59% of Jet2 flights from Belfast International to Malaga were delayed by at least 15 minutes in the 12 months to April.

It’s the worst record of any route at Belfast airports that saw more than 100 flights in the last year.

With summer holidays just around the corner, see how likely flights to your destination will be delayed using our interactive gadget:

Also high in the rankings for delays at Belfast International were Jet2 flights to Alicante, with 52% of flights delayed by at least 15 minutes last year, followed by Jet2 flights to Faro (50%).

Meanwhile at George Best Belfast City Airport, Emerald Airlines flights to Newquay were the most likely to be cancelled, at 46%.

Belfast International
Destination - Airline - % of flights delayed by 15 minutes or more (12 months to April 2024)
Malaga - Jet2.Com Ltd - 59% delayed
Alicante - Jet2.Com Ltd - 52% delayed
Faro - Jet2.Com Ltd - 50% delayed
Palma De Mallorca - Jet2.Com Ltd - 49% delayed
Arrecife - Jet2.Com Ltd - 49% delayed
Palma De Mallorca - EasyJet UK Ltd - 47% delayed
Alicante - EasyJet UK Ltd - 45% delayed
Amsterdam - EasyJet UK Ltd - 44% delayed
Tenerife (Surreina Sofia) - EasyJet UK Ltd - 43% delayed
Tenerife (Surreina Sofia) - Jet2.Com Ltd - 42% delayed

George Best Belfast City Airport
Destination - Airline - % of flights delayed by 15 minutes or more (12 months to April 2024)
Newquay - Emerald Airlines UK Ltd - 46% delayed
East Midlands International - Emerald Airlines UK Ltd - 40% delayed
Southampton - Emerald Airlines UK Ltd - 40% delayed
Amsterdam - KLM - 38% delayed
Leeds Bradford - Emerald Airlines UK Ltd - 37% delayed
Cardiff Wales - Emerald Airlines UK Ltd - 36% delayed
Bristol - EasyJet UK Ltd - 36% delayed
Newcastle - Emerald Airlines UK Ltd - 34% delayed
Birmingham - Emerald Airlines UK Ltd - 34% delayed
Inverness - Loganair Ltd - 33% delayed

However, it’s a different story when looking at which routes will keep you waiting the longest.

EasyJet Europe flights from Belfast International to Mallorca have the worst record when it comes to average delay times at Belfast airports.

While only 22% of flights on this route were delayed by 15 minutes or more in the year to April, they were delayed by an average of 53 minutes.

These were followed by Aer Lingus flights from George Best to Birmingham (37 minutes).

The only thing worse than a delayed flight is a cancelled one.

Aer Lingus flights from George Best to Birmingham were also the most likely to be cancelled last year, with 44% of flights on this route scrapped between May 2023 and April 2024.

Other routes with a poor record include Aer Lingus flights from George Best to Edinburgh (41%), and to Leeds Bradford (36%).
Flights from Belfast International were less likely to be cancelled, with the worst route for cancellations EasyJet flights to Amsterdam (4%).

You can see the full range of flights and airports via our interactive widget below:

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

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