Leeds Bradford Airport: This is the average length of delays at every airport in the UK - including LBA

The airport came jont 7th in a list of the 23 major airports in the UK, with an average delay time of just over 15 minutes- leaving it level with Stansted.

But it’s not good news for Manchester Airport which had an average delay time of 19 minutes and 30 seconds, placing it top of the pile despite being the country’s third busiest airport.

The statistics were revealed after the Press Association analysed data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Birmingham Airport had the second poorest flight punctuality last year, with an average delay of 18 minutes and 42 seconds, and in third place was Bournemouth Airport (17 minutes and 18 seconds).

Other airports close to Yorkshire include Teesside which came 10th with an average delay of 15 minutes and six seconds and East Midlands Airport which came 20th with an average delay of 11 minutes and 48 seconds.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport – less than 30 miles from Manchester airport – had the most punctual flights, recording an average delay of just nine minutes and 24 seconds.

The analysis took into account scheduled and chartered departures from the 23 commercial UK airports with at least 1,000 outbound flights last year.

Cancellations were not included.

The average delay for departures last year was 14 minutes and 54 seconds, down from 18 minutes and 24 seconds in 2024.

Rory Boland, editor of magazine Which? Travel, said the choice of airport “shouldn’t make or break your trip” but “too many holidays got off to a terrible start last year”.

He added: “Manchester Airport has ranked last in our airport survey for four consecutive years and these new CAA figures validate why this is a particularly poor place to be stranded during delays.

“For passengers already wary of travel uncertainty, seeing such consistent underperformance makes it difficult to book with any real confidence.”

Anna Bowles, head of consumer at the CAA, urged the aviation industry to be “focused on delivering punctual and reliable journeys for passengers wherever possible” as she warned that delays have a “real impact for people heading off on holidays”.

She added: “When disruption occurs, how the industry responds really matters. Passengers should be kept informed and given the care and support they are entitled to.”

A spokesperson for trade body AirportsUK said passengers are “benefitting from improvements in the service they receive”, and delays in 2025 were “down significantly on the previous year”.

Full ranking

Airports are ordered from the longest average delay per departing flight to the shortest (duration in brackets).

1. Manchester (19 minutes and 30 seconds)

2. Birmingham (18 minutes and 42 seconds)

3. Bournemouth (17 minutes and 18 seconds)

4. Southampton (16 minutes and 36 seconds)

5. Gatwick (16 minutes and 24 seconds)

6. Newcastle (15 minutes and 48 seconds)

=7. Leeds Bradford (15 minutes and 36 seconds)

=7. Stansted (15 minutes and 36 seconds)

9. Edinburgh (15 minutes and 24 seconds)

10. Teesside (15 minutes and six seconds)

=11. Cardiff (14 minutes and 54 seconds)

=11. Exeter (14 minutes and 54 seconds)

13. Bristol (14 minutes and 36 seconds)

=14. London City (14 minutes and 12 seconds)

=14. Luton (14 minutes and 12 seconds)

16. Heathrow (12 minutes and 42 seconds)

17. Belfast International (12 minutes and 24 seconds)

=18. Glasgow (12 minutes and six seconds)

=18. Belfast City (12 minutes and six seconds)

20. East Midlands (11 minutes and 48 seconds)

21. Aberdeen (10 minutes and 54 seconds)

22. Southend (10 minutes and 24 seconds)

23. Liverpool John Lennon (Nine minutes and 24 seconds)