According to a study, Gatwick was the airport with the most flight delays in the UK last year.
According to an analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by the PA news agency, departures from West Sussex Airport were on average almost 27 minutes behind schedule in 2023.
The airport, the second-busiest in the UK, was hit hard by air traffic control staff shortages across Europe last year and has repeatedly struggled with the same problem in its own control tower.
Gatwick said in a statement that it was “working closely with our airline partners to improve punctuality performance.”
Luton Airport had the second worst punctuality record last year, with an average delay of almost 23 minutes.
Manchester Airport came in third place with almost 22 minutes.
The best performance was at Belfast City Airport (George Best), with a typical delay of 12.5 minutes.
The average flight delay at all airports was nearly 20 minutes and 42 seconds, up from 23 minutes and 12 seconds in 2022, when the aviation industry struggled to cope with the sharp increase in demand for holidays following the lifting of coronavirus travel restrictions.
The analysis included all scheduled and charter flights from the 22 commercial UK airports with at least 1,000 departures in the last year. Cancellations were not taken into account.
Naomi Leach, deputy editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said: “It is clear from these latest figures that millions of passengers continued to experience unacceptably long waiting times last year.
“This must not become the new normal.”
CAA director Tim Johnson said it was vital that the aviation sector “focuses on its resilience” ahead of the summer holiday season to “minimise disruption to passengers”.
He added: “When people are faced with disorders, we want them to be well informed about the duty of care they have.”
Julia Lo Bue-Said, managing director of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said flight disruptions were “always incredibly frustrating”.
She continued: “Any delay can have significant knock-on effects for holidaymakers and business travellers.
“With millions of Brits travelling abroad this summer, it is vital for UK airports and all parts of the travel ecosystem to work together on an ongoing basis to ensure the system is as efficient as possible.”
In the event of significant flight delays or cancellations, airlines are required by consumer protection laws to offer passengers assistance services such as refreshments, a means of communication and, if necessary, overnight accommodation.
If the cause of the disruption is within the airline’s control, passengers are also entitled to compensation of up to £520, depending on the length of the delay and the distance of the flight.
However, problems with air traffic control are generally considered “extraordinary circumstances” and mean that affected passengers are not entitled to compensation.
Gatwick said in a statement: “As the most efficient single runway airport in the world, our aim is to provide a seamless experience for our passengers.
“Most cancellations are due to bad weather, airspace restrictions across Europe and inefficient third-party ground operations.
“We work closely with our airline partners to improve punctuality performance.
“In addition, we have published a six-year investment programme that includes significant improvements to develop and improve infrastructure and facilities to strengthen the airport’s resilience.”
To reduce the number of short-term cancellations and delays due to staff shortages in the ATC tower, Gatwick has imposed a temporary cap on flights in September 2023.
A spokesman for the airport operators association said: “Airports are working extremely hard to minimise delays while providing passengers with a positive and safe experience.”
“These figures do not provide any insight into operations in a global environment and do not give travelers a clear picture of how air travel works.”
