One in three easyJet flights arrived at least 15 minutes late last year, according to a survey in Which? magazine.
Which? examined data from the airline regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), covering flights arriving in 25 UK airports, on 35 different airlines during 2016. Only 74 per cent of flights were regarded as on time, meaning one in four arrived late.
Air Transat, Icelandair and Norwegian airlines were reported to be at the bottom of the punctuality league table – while KLM came top.
Most KLM passengers, however, had a smoother journey: 88% of flights arrived on time, according to findings. Qatar Airways came econd place (86%) and Iberia third (84%).
Among the most high profile operators, Virgin Atlantic (79% of flights on time) ranked higher than Ryanair (77%), British Airways (74%) and Easyjet (66%). The most punctual no-frills airlines in the list are Flybe (82%) and Wizz Air (81%).
Passengers who travel on delayed flights can claim for compensation under the EU Denied Boarding Regulations; the exception is where flights are delayed due to ‘extraordinary circumstances’ which are outside of the airline’s control. ‘Extraordinary circumstances’ include problems such as security risks, strikes, or damage to an aircraft due to sabotage or terrorism.
But technical problems or the failure of an aircraft component are not ‘extraordinary’.
Compensation is provided at a set figure in euros, dependent on how long the delay the length of the flight. Delayed long-haul travellers could be entitled to €300 if their plane landed between three or four hours late, or €600 if their flight was at least four hours behind schedule.
Passengers flying short haul are also potentially eligible to claim up to €250 if they are delayed by more than three hours.