Two busy Scottish airports have been named among the worst hubs for flight cancellations in the UK.
The travel experts at UK insurance company SportsCoverDirect have released their 2023 UK Flight Index which lists where flyers were most impacted by cancelled flights.
Among the top 12 ranking is Edinburgh airport in fourth place with 112,966 Scots passengers affected by axed flights last year. Glasgow placed sixth with 84,401 flyers impacted in 2022.
Coming in at number one is London's Heathrow airport, which saw a staggering 809,190 passengers impacted by flight suspensions. In second place is Gatwick followed by Manchester Airport.
On the other end of the scale, Bournemouth airport is one of the most reliable UK airports to fly from with just 567 travellers affected by flight cancellations last year. The second best is East Midlands International with 1,820 passengers affected by cancellations throughout 2022.
For results, the specialists studied flight 2022 data of 12 of the busiest UK airports, analysing figures to uncover the number of passengers affected by cancelled flights - and average delay time experienced by travellers.
Read below to see the full list, as well as the number of passengers affected.
Top 12 worst UK airports for cancelled flights
- Heathrow (809,190)
- Gatwick (301,305)
- Manchester (187,705)
- Edinburgh (112,966)
- Luton (91,676)
- Glasgow (84,401)
- Bristol (73,031)
- Stansted (69,014)
- Belfast International (32,375)
- Birmingham (25,482)
- East Midlands International Airport (1,820)
- Bournemouth (567)
It's important to know your refund rights should you face a delayed or cancelled flight. Sean Walsh Manager at SportsCoverDirect, said: "The rules surrounding flight delays and cancellations can feel confusing.
"But in fact, they are relatively straightforward. The key thing to remember is airlines bear the responsibility of compensating passengers for significant flight delays, governed by the EC Flight Compensation Regulation 261/2004.
“However, it's important to note that the Act may not apply to all flights or situations. ‘Exceptional circumstances’ may allow airlines to avoid paying compensation. In such scenarios, having travel insurance can prove to be beneficial and potentially save you from any unforeseen expenses.”
The SportsCoverDirect Flight Index also revealed December as the month with the most flight cancellations, affecting an average of 305,000 passengers. November 2022 was the month that saw the lowest number of flight cancellations at 46,000.
Regarding airlines, Norwegian Air is the best airline to travel with for average 15 minute flight delay time. In contrast, Wizz Air is the worst airline for delays with an average wait of 45 minutes.
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