Luton airport has 'longer delays than Heathrow on average' according to new figures

Figures have revealed Luton airport had longer delays than Heathrow on average last year.

Latest flight punctuality statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority were analysed by Tripplo.com to find which airports were experiencing the longest delays on average.

Aberdeen was at the top of the list, followed by the Isle of Man Airport and Gatwick. Rounding out the top five was Luton with an average delay of 13.58 minutes for the 23,156 flights studied. Data for December showed the average delay that month to be 19.76 minutes. With an average delay of 13.56 minutes, Heathrow came in at number six.

A London Luton Airport spokesperson said: “Flights can be delayed for a variety of reasons, many of which are often outside the airport’s direct control, such as weather, air traffic restrictions and the late arrival of an aircraft. Despite this, the vast majority of departing flights are prepared and ready for take-off within the time

Commenting on the findings, Axel Hernborg, founder of Tripplo.com, said: “While it’s never ideal for any of your flights to be delayed, you’ll likely experience it at some point, especially if you’re a frequent flyer. That being said, it’s interesting to see the big difference in the length of delays at certain UK airports, and it will be worth seeing if this correlates with the number of cancellations at each of these airports as well.

"With the summer holidays also coming up, whether the amount of cancellations we have seen across the UK in recent years keeps up will be worth noting too.”