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Birmingham Airport ranked worst for delays for second year

Getty Images Passengers at Birmingham AirportGetty Images
In 2022, departures from Birmingham Airport were, on average, half an hour behind schedule

Birmingham Airport has been ranked the worst for delays in the UK for the second year running.

Analysis of figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) by the PA news agency found departures in 2022 were on average half an hour behind schedule.

Close behind were the now-closed Doncaster Sheffield Airport and Manchester Airport, both with an average delay of 29 minutes.

Birmingham Airport said it was "running smoothly" this year.

The analysis, which did not include cancelled flights, found the worst months for delays were May and June, when the aviation sector failed to recruit and train enough staff to cope with a surge in demand for holidays.

Passengers also reported having to spend hours in long queues for check-in and security in Birmingham last year.

Getty Images Birmingham AirportGetty Images
It is the second year running that Birmingham has had the longest delays

The average delay time of half an hour is more than double the average delay for 2021 at the airport, which was 12 minutes and 24 seconds.

Meanwhile, the best airport for minimal disruption was found to be East Midlands, with an average delay of 13 minutes.

Across all airports, the average delay was 23 minutes.

More than 10 million passengers travelled through Birmingham Airport last year, making it the seventh busiest airport in the country.

A spokesperson said the aviation industry had "fought hard to recover" after being "devastated by Covid" at the start of 2022.

"This year, the first since 2020 not impacted by Covid, our airport is running smoothly with customers set to equal or exceed pre-pandemic numbers," the spokesperson added.

They also referenced a new £40m security hall, due to be completed in 2024, which is aimed at making processes "quicker and easier" for customers.

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Average airport delays:

  • Birmingham - 30 minutes
  • Doncaster Sheffield - 29 minutes
  • Manchester - 29 minutes
  • Luton - 28 minutes
  • Gatwick - 27 minutes
  • Bristol - 26 minutes
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"Our data tells us that too many passengers faced disappointing levels of delays across UK airports last year," said Anna Bowles, from the CAA.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said the "chaos" of 2022 "cannot be allowed to stand again".

"Your choice of airport shouldn't make or break your trip, but for too many travellers last year that was sadly their experience," he said.

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