In the wake of the pandemic, major airlines have been tackling a surge of holidaymakers with minimal staff. The result - cancellations, delays and lost holidays.
For many, this year will mark the first trip abroad since 2020 but airlines such as easyJet and British Airways have been forced to cancel hundreds of flights in the recent months, impacting trips to and from Edinburgh Airport. Now, new data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) shows one in five flights (19.5 per cent) leaving UK airports took off later than planned in the year to April 2022 (the most recent figures available), with the average wait time of being 11 minutes.
However, some flights were more likely to be delayed than others and some delays were much longer with some reaching to an average wait time of 20 minutes. Edinburgh Airport is not responsible for flight cancellations or delays and affected passengers should get in touch with the respective airlines.
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Here's what the research found regarding flights from Edinburgh Airport:
At Edinburgh Airport, the easyJet Europe flight to Milan (Malpensa) in Italy was the most likely to be delayed, with 41.1 per cent of the 57 flights that took off in the year to April running at least 15 minutes late. The average delay for the flight was 15 minutes, and 3.5 per cent of flights were cancelled in the 12 months.
Meanwhile those heading to New York (Newark) in the USA on United Airlines face the longest waits on average. In the year to April the average delay on the 56 flights leaving Edinburgh Airport was 37 minutes, with 40.2 per cent of flights delayed for more than 15 minutes.
Flights leaving Edinburgh Airport most likely to be delayed for 15 minutes of more:
- EDINBURGH TO MILAN (MALPENSA) IN ITALY - EASYJET EUROPE - 41.1 per cent
- EDINBURGH TO NEW YORK (NEWARK) IN USA - UNITED AIRLINES - 40.2 per cent
- EDINBURGH TO FRANKFURT MAIN IN GERMANY - LUFTHANSA - 36.9 per cent
- EDINBURGH TO DOHA HAMAD IN QATAR - QATAR AIRWAYS - 35.3 per cent
- EDINBURGH TO BERGAMO IN ITALY - RYANAIR - 34.2 per cent
- EDINBURGH TO AMSTERDAM IN NETHERLANDS - EASYJET EUROPE - 33.5 per cent
- EDINBURGH TO BUCHAREST (OTOPENI) IN ROMANIA - WIZZ AIR - 32.2 per cent
- EDINBURGH TO STOCKHOLM (ARLANDA) IN SWEDEN - SAS - 31.2 per cent
- EDINBURGH TO ATHENS IN GREECE - AEGEAN AIRLINES - 30.6 per cent
- EDINBURGH TO PARIS (CHARLES DE GAULLE) IN FRANCE - EASYJET UK LTD - 30.6 per cent
Longest average delays at Edinburgh Airport:
- EDINBURGH TO NEW YORK (NEWARK) IN USA - UNITED AIRLINES - 37 minutes
- EDINBURGH TO CARDIFF WALES IN UNITED KINGDOM - LOGANAIR LTD - 23 minutes
- EDINBURGH TO STORNOWAY IN UNITED KINGDOM - LOGANAIR LTD - 22 minutes
- EDINBURGH TO SUMBURGH IN UNITED KINGDOM - LOGANAIR LTD - 20 minutes
- EDINBURGH TO NEWQUAY IN UNITED KINGDOM - LOGANAIR LTD - 19 minutes
Along with delays, holidaymakers are being faced with cancellations. Over the last few months, major airlines such as easyJet and British Airways were forced to cancel and reschedule a number of flights due to various reasons including covid related issues, short of staff and I.T issues.
The route most likely to be cancelled at Edinburgh Airport is Loganair to Sumburgh, in the Shetland Islands, with one in 12 (8.3 per cent) cancelled in the year to April.
Routes from Edinburgh Airport most likely to be cancelled:
- EDINBURGH TO SUMBURGH IN UNITED KINGDOM - LOGANAIR LTD - 8.3 per cent
- EDINBURGH TO KIRKWALL IN UNITED KINGDOM - LOGANAIR LTD - 8.2 per cent
- EDINBURGH TO BRUSSELS IN BELGIUM - BRUSSELS AIRLINES - 4.3 per cent
- EDINBURGH TO NEW YORK (NEWARK) IN USA - UNITED AIRLINES - 3.6 per cent
- EDINBURGH TO MILAN (MALPENSA) IN ITALY - EASYJET EUROPE - 3.5 per cent
Those travelling to Edinburgh have also faced disruption at times. The longest average wait time on a domestic flight came from Cardiff, scheduled to land in Edinburgh with Cardiff to Edinburgh flights with Loganair was 24.1 per cent likely to be cancelled.
Those heading to Edinburgh on Loganair also faced the longest waits on average.
- EXETER TO EDINBURGH IN UNITED KINGDOM - LOGANAIR LTD - 14 minutes
- CARDIFF WALES TO EDINBURGH IN UNITED KINGDOM - LOGANAIR LTD - 22 minutes
As things have started to recover after the pandemic put pay to holidays abroad, flying has been a potentially fraught experience with queues, delays and cancellations. The Easter holidays, which are included in these figures, saw long queues at bag drop and security at several airports, as well as delays and cancelled flights.
The proportion of flights delayed for more than 15 minutes leaving UK airports increased in April this year with 32.9 per cent delayed, compared to 22.0 per cent in March. At the same time the average delay rose from 12 minutes in March, comparable to the average of 11 minutes across the whole year, to 18 minutes in April.
Of airlines that have featured in coverage of airport disruption - 30.8 per cent of British Airways flights were delayed, as were 38.8 per cnet of Wizz Air flights, but 18.3 per cent of Ryanair UK flights and just 12.6 per cent of easyJet UK flights.
Airports and airlines, which cut jobs during lockdowns, have struggled to recruit staff as demand for holidays has returned, with problems blamed on the resulting shortage of staff. Edinburgh Live reported how a family was 'left devastated' after their Disney Resort trip to Florida was put in jeopardy after the first leg of the journey, the flight from Edinburgh to Heathrow, was cancelled.
Most recently, Heathrow Airport has put a cap of 100,000 passengers in place for the summer holidays, 4,000 fewer than was scheduled, saying this was the maximum number airlines, airline ground handlers and the airport can serve impacting thousands of booked flights.
How has your airport experience been in the recent months? Let us know in the comments.
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