This is where London Gatwick and Heathrow ranks among the UK airports facing the longest delays, according to new research

The study by Tripplo.com analysed the latest data from the Civil Aviation Authority to see which airports were experiencing the longest delays on average.

It found that Aberdeen, on average, sees the longest delays of any UK airport, with an average delay of 20.70 minutes with 6,757 flights studied, which is over four minutes longer than any other airport.

The latest data from December 2023 shows that the average delay that month was 26.04 minutes.

Second place on the list goes to Isle of Man Airport, also known as Ronaldsway Airport. It sees average delays of 16.22 minutes for 2,391 flights studied. In December 2023, there were average delays of 22.53 minutes.

Third place goes to the UK’s second busiest airport, London Gatwick. It comes in with an average delay of 15.47 minutes for 58,762 flights studied in 2023. December 2023 data showed the average delay that month to be 24.31 minutes.

Manchester Airport comes in fourth place on the list, which saw average delays of 14.02 minutes in 2023. This is for a total of 39,771 flights that were studied. Data from December showed the average delay that month to be 21.63 minutes.

Rounding out the top five is another London airport in Luton, which saw an average delay of 13.58 minutes for 23,156 flights studied. December data showed the average delay that month to be 19.76 minutes.

Heathrow Airport comes in sixth. The UK’s busiest airport saw an average delay of 13.56 minutes in 2023.

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.”