At least 14 million air travellers affected by disruption last winter

Between December 2024 and February 2025, 27% of UK air passengers experienced flight disruptions, with 14.4 million travellers affected, according to travel tech firm AirHelp. 

That represents a significant rise on the more than 10 million passengers across the UK who faced flight disruption between November 2023 and February 2024. 

While most of the December 2024 to February 2025 delays were under three hours and did not qualify for compensation, 508,000 UK passengers encountered extended delays that triggered compensation claims. Additionally, a significant 1.3 million passengers saw their flights cancelled during the winter months. January 2025 saw the highest cancellation rate, affecting 2.7% of travellers, followed closely by December at 2.6%.

Among the most affected routes departing from UK airports, the flight from London Heathrow to Kotoka Airport in Ghana ranked highest, with 61% of passengers experiencing disruptions. The routes from Heathrow to Bandaranaike International Airport in Sri Lanka and London Stansted to Franjo Tudman Airport in Croatia followed, with 59% and 54% of passengers impacted, respectively.

On the other hand, the most punctual routes during this period were from London Stansted to Dubai Airport and from Heathrow to Galeão Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport in Brazil, both boasting an on-time departure rate of 91%. London Gatwick to Istanbul Havalimani Airport in Turkey also performed well, with 90% of passengers departing on time.

This data highlights the ongoing challenges faced by travellers, emphasising the volatility of air travel schedules and the need for effective compensation systems for impacted passengers.