UK: Luton tops list of worst airports for flight delays

The worst UK airports for flight punctuality have been revealed, with the longest delays at London’s Luton. Departures from the Bedfordshire airport were an average of 20 minutes late in 2017, according to a Press Association analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data. Gatwick recorded the second-worst punctuality performance, followed by Jersey and Durham Tees Valley. The ranking takes into account every scheduled and charter flight from 25 of the UK’s major airports, although cancelled flights are not included. The average delay across all featured airports was 15 minutes. Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport, had the best performance, with aircraft typically taking off 11 minutes late. A spokeswoman for Luton said: “We regret any delay our passengers experience.” She added that punctuality was influenced by many factors outside its control such as air traffic control strikes, late arriving aircraft, bad weather and congested airspace.<br/>