News

Survey reveals airlines with most delays and cancellations

British Airways, Flybe, easyJet and Ryanair have been highlighted as the airlines suffering from the most long delays or cancellations to and from the UK in 2017.

They top a ‘carriers of shame’ list compiled by flight compensation firm EUclaim.

Regional carriers Eastern Airways and Aurigny Air Services also appear in the top ten list.

Both airlines have a relatively small fleet but a relatively high number of incidents.

The airlines service predominantly the Channel Islands, Scotland, the Shetlands and the Isle of Man, which are more often than not, adversely affected by bad UK weather, according to EUclaim.

Others with poor records included now defunct Monarch together with KLM, Loganair and Thomson Airways.

Extreme weather was blamed for a 10% overall rise in flight cancelations last year over 2016.

A total of 16,411 flights from and to the UK were cancelled in 2016. This figure rose to 18,095 flights last year, according to the firm’s data.

Of the five worst days for passengers, the top two were December 10 and 11, when a snowstorm impacted 2,347 flights across the UK and eastern Europe, resulting in delays exceeding three hours or cancellations.

Hurricane Ophelia on October 16 impacted another 589 flights to and from the UK.

January 23 was the fourth worst flight day in 2017, when thick fog covered the south of the UK and affected 579 flights.

A French air traffic control strike on October 10 caused 536 flights to be delayed for more than three hours or cancelled.

The best day for flying in 2017 was Christmas Day when only nine flights to and from the UK suffered a long delay or cancellation.

EUclaim UK manager Adeline Noorderhaven said: “2017 has been an intense year for airline passengers, mostly because the weather had a large impact on the rise in the number of flight cancellations.

“These situations are adding to the discomfort of passengers as they are not entitled to compensation in these cases.

“Weather related incidents are extraordinary circumstances. However, 2.5 million passengers travelling to and from the UK are entitled to compensation for long delays that could have been prevented if the airlines had kept their operations in order.”

Share article

View Comments

Jacobs Media is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.