Wizz Air Tops List for Flight Delays Again

Wizz Air has been named the worst airline for UK flight delays for the third year running. The carrier's departures from UK airports averaged 31 minutes and 36 seconds behind schedule in 2023, according to an analysis of official data by the PA news agency. Turkish Airlines and Tui followed closely, with average delays of 28 minutes and 36 seconds and 28 minutes and 24 seconds, respectively.

This poor performance occurs amid rising airfares, driven by higher fuel costs and green taxes. Despite this, Wizz Air claimed it had made "significant improvements" but acknowledged there was "still work to be done." The analysis, covering scheduled and chartered departures from UK airports by airlines operating more than 2,500 flights, excluded canceled flights.

Following Wizz Air, the worst airlines for delays included:

• Turkish Airlines: 28 minutes and 36 seconds
• Tui: 28 minutes and 24 seconds
• Air India: 28 minutes and 12 seconds
• Pegasus Airlines: 25 minutes and six seconds

On the other end of the spectrum, Irish carrier Emerald Airlines was the most punctual, with an average delay of just 13 minutes and six seconds. Virgin Atlantic came second with an average delay of 13 minutes and 42 seconds.

Consumer affairs expert Jane Hawkes told the BBC that these findings would "likely come as zero surprise to passengers who have endured lengthy delays on Wizz Air services." She added that research by Which? showed the airline was also lacking in customer service quality. "Irritatingly, but again not unsurprisingly, profits are soaring [at Wizz] in line with fares," she noted.

Wizz Air's UK operations serve several airports, including Aberdeen, Birmingham, Gatwick, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, and Luton. The Hungarian carrier, which operates across Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, saw passenger numbers hit a record 62 million in the 12 months ending in March, a 20% increase from the previous year. Over the same period, revenue from ticket sales rose 11.2%, mirroring increases across the airline sector.