AirHelp reports UK winter flight disruption

Travel tech firm AirHelp has revealed that over 10 million passengers across the UK faced flight disruption between November 2023 and February 2024.

The company added that its data showed approximately 38.3 million people had booked a trip during this period.

While most passengers whose flights were disrupted faced delays of under three hours – and were consequently not eligible for financial compensation – approximately 1.2 million people were. Additionally, over 1.9 million travellers were forced to cancel their trips outright due to the disruption.

London Gatwick was a serious offender during the period, with a third (32%) of its total passengers impacted by disruption. This amounted to 1.7 million people. Manchester Airport also fared poorly, with 29% of its passengers suffering from flight disruption.

The UK’s most punctual airport was Cornwall Airport Newquay, where only 16% of passengers faced disruption – followed closely by London City Airport at 19%.

The route most vulnerable to disruption was London Heathrow–Sri Lanka, where over 65% of passengers faced delays or cancellation.

“The latest winter season has proven that the UK has significant room for improvement in terms of flight disruptions and cancellations, in order to minimise the negative impact on passengers when they choose to travel,” explained Tomasz Pawliszyn, CEO of AirHelp.

AirHelp previously reported that a total of 45 million UK passengers suffered disruptions in 2023.