The UK’s worst airports for flight cancellations in 2024 – see where Bristol ranks

The UK airports that clocked up the highest percentage of flight cancellations in 2024 have been revealed, following a tumultuous year for the aviation industry, as it grappled with storms and IT problems.

Data gathered from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) from January to November 2024 by AirAdvisor serves as the basis for these statistics. The CAA defines a cancelled flight as: “the non-operation of a previously planned flight, announced less than 24 hours before or after its scheduled departure time.”

Southampton Airport tops the chart with an average monthly flight cancellation rate of 3.3%. This figure spiked in November when Southampton saw cancellations soar to 5.5% during that month. In second place, London City Airport saw an average of 2.9% of flights cancelled each month.

Anton Radchenko, CEO of AirAdvisor, said:“2024 was a challenging year for Southampton Airport. In February, the CAA’s data suggests that cancellations hit 4.9 per cent – planned industrial action by firefighters and technicians was fortunately called off at the last minute.

“Stormy weather, snow and fog often result in cancellations, with January and February being notoriously troublesome months for airports due to bad weather. The CAA’s data suggests around 5.9 per cent of flights at London City were cancelled in January – in what became its worst month for cancellations. Cancellations peaked at Glasgow Airport in January, with 4.9 per cent of flights grounded. Storms Isha and Jocelyn took their toll on services at both airports.

“Poor weather may have contributed to Southampton Airport’s cancellation rate rising to 4.9 per cent in February. February saw Cardiff Airport’s cancellation rate surge to 4 per cent. In July, the global IT outage resulted in around 5,000 flights worldwide being cancelled, in what was a very challenging few days for the aviation industry.

“In the same month, the CAA’s stats indicate London City’s cancellation rate hit 3.4 per cent, with swathes of flights cancelled during a busy time of year for air travel. Cancellations rose to 2.8 per cent at Southampton in July.”

Out of the 18 major airports on the list, Bristol managed to come in 12th place, with just 0.7% of flights cancelled in an average month. Some other airports that fared well include Liverpool, Luton, and Bournemouth who had months with zero cancellations in 2024. Currently, Bournemouth has the lowest average monthly cancellation rate of just 0.04% for the year.

Anton has highlighted the importance of passengers being aware of their rights in the event of a flight cancellation. He explained: “When flights are cancelled, you are entitled to request a seat on an alternative flight to your destination. If your airline can’t rebook you within a reasonable amount of time, then they must find an alternate flight even if this is with a different airline. “”If you choose not to travel, you are entitled to a full ticket refund.

“Speak to a representative from your airline at the airport, if there is a seat available on another carrier’s flight, they are required to book it for you, at their expense. “”There’s a whole multitude of reasons for flights to be cancelled, which might not always be properly communicated to passengers by airlines, so it’s always worth filing a claim if you are affected.

“If your flight is cancelled with less than two weeks’ notice and you’re flying with a UK or EU-based carrier or within the UK or EU, you may be due up to £520 in compensation.”

Average flight cancellations at UK airports between January and November 2024:

1. Southampton – 3.3%
2. London City – 2.9%
3. Cardiff – 2.2%
4. Glasgow – 2.1%
5. Leeds Bradford – 1.8%
6. Heathrow – 1.65%
7. Gatwick – 1.4%
8. Newcastle – 1%
9. Edinburgh – 1.16%
10. Manchester – 0.9%
11. Birmingham – 0.9%
12. Bristol – 0.7%
13. Stansted – 0.65%
14. Liverpool – 0.52%
15. Luton – 0.5%
16. Belfast – 0.4%
17. East Midlands – 0.3%
18. Bournemouth – 0.04%