The airport has been “commended” for its “outstanding” performance with the least amount of flight delays across all major UK airports in 2025
One Scottish airport has been revealed to have the lowest rate of delayed flights among all UK airports in 2025 with a whopping 83 per cent of flights taking off on time. According to new data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which covers the first six months of 2025, Aberdeen airport has been found to have the best flight punctuality rate out of every airport in Britain.
Glasgow Airport also made the top five least delayed airport list, according to the CAA, coming in fifth place with 80 per cent of flights there taking off in time during the same period of this year. However, Scottish statistics were let down by the capital as Edinburgh Airport fared significantly less well in the findings.
Edinburgh airport made the top ten list for UK’s worst major airports for delays, with 76.5 per cent of flights arriving or departing within 15 minutes within their scheduled time. The analysis, conducted by air passenger rights experts, AirAdvisor, found that across the first six months of this year, an average of 77 per cent of flights from all UK airports were on-time.
The data also showed that Manchester Airport was the worst offender for delayed flights in the first half of 2025, with only 71.5 per cent of flights at the airport being on-time in the first six months of the year.
This was closely followed by Birmingham Airport at 72.5 per cent, which is also below the national average.
Meanwhile on the other side, behind Aberdeen airport, 82 per cent of flights at Liverpool Airport were on-time, while both Belfast City, 82.5 per cent, and Belfast International, 81.5 per cent, fared well in the findings.
The CAA’s data assesses the percentage of flights from each airport that are on time.
It considers a flight as “on-time” if it arrives or departs from the airport gate within 15 minutes of its scheduled time.
The CAA collects punctuality information from 25 UK airports, which are typically the largest airports in terms of passengers.
For the purposes of the CAA’s reporting the Channel Islands – Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney – and the Isle of Man are considered domestic aviation and their data is included in these findings, despite not formally being part of the United Kingdom.
UK’s best major airports with least delays in 2025 (highest percentage of flights on-time)
- Aberdeen – 83 per cent
- Belfast City – 82.5 per cent
- Liverpool – 82 per cent
- Belfast International – 81.5 per cent
- London City and Glasgow – 80 per cent
UK’s worst major airports for delays in 2025 (lowest percentage of flights on-time)
- Manchester – 71.5 per cent flights on time
- Birmingham International – 72.5 per cent
- Stansted and Bournemouth – 73.5 per cent
- Bristol – 74.5 per cent
- Teeside – 75 per cent
- Newcastle, Gatwick and Jersey – 75.5 per cent
- Exeter – 76 per cent
- Edinburgh – 76.5 per cent
- Southampton – 76.5 per cent
- Cardiff – 77.5 per cent
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“The picture in terms of flight delays is definitely improving across the UK. According to the CAA, only 72.5 per cent of UK flights in the first six months of 2024 were on-time, so the leap to 77 per cent in the same time period this year, is a marked improvement.
“In the years that followed the pandemic, flight delays rocketed to record highs due to airlines and airports struggling with staff shortages and supply chain issues that combined with a surge in demand for air travel.
“Airlines, in particular, were caught between a rock and a hard place, because UK Government legislation means that passengers can claim compensation if their flight is delayed due to a situation that an airline could have avoided.
“So, in recent years especially, it’s been in airlines’ interest to do what they can to reduce flight delays – and rightly so, especially when you consider how much more expensive most flights are now, compared to say, ten years ago.”
