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Air India has been ranked the worst airline for flight delays in Britain.
The carrier’s departures from UK airports were an average of 45 minutes and 48 seconds behind schedule in 2024, according to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by the PA news agency.
The route with the longest average delay was Gatwick to Bengaluru, with an average of one hour and 23 minutes across 50 departures.
Rory Boland, editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, described Air India’s performance as “completely unacceptable”.
The airline said the disruption was “primarily due to factors beyond our control”.

Air India was acquired from the Indian government by Tata Group in January 2022 after racking up billions of pounds of losses.
The airline’s UK operations are at Birmingham, Gatwick and Heathrow, with routes to a number of Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Data from aviation analytics company Cirium shows the airline operated 56 per cent more flights from UK airports last year compared with 2019.
This is projected to rise to 90 per cent this year after increasing flight frequencies on several routes in March.
Aviation consultant John Strickland said there has been “a lot of work going on to put the airline back on track” after it gained a “poor reputation” for delays and cancellations.
Air India had an average delay of 45 minutes. This is completely unacceptable
Rory Boland, Which? Travel
This was partly caused by a lack of funds to purchase spare parts for aircraft, leading to some of its fleet being grounded.
“They’re coming out of this period of malaise pre-the Tata takeover, and now have to put in work on their engineering, manpower, spare parts holding, all those factors,” Strickland said.
He said some of Air India’s promotion of its new Airbus A350 first class product has focused on the quality of its service.
“You can have great meals and a great crew, but fundamentally you’ve got to operate an airline which is as punctual and reliable as possible,” he added. “That’s definitely a work in progress for them.”
Which? Travel’s Boland said the latest delay figures “will come as no surprise to travellers, who can find themselves paying sky high amounts for air fares and in return receiving unreliable services”.

“Air India had an average delay of 45 minutes. This is completely unacceptable,” he said. “It’s time for airlines to get their act together and start delivering the service their customers are paying for.”
Air India said in a statement that its flight to and from Britain last year “experienced occasional delays, primarily due to factors beyond our control”.
“Proactive operational initiatives like self-check-in, baggage drop and automated boarding process have ensured smoother airport touchpoint experience and faster turnaround of aircraft, boosting on-time departures,” it added.
“The deployment of the new Airbus A350 and upgraded B787-9 aircraft on some of the UK routes has also helped enhance punctuality of our flight operations.”
The statement concluded that the airline’s “on-time performance has seen significant improvement” in the first three months of this year on UK-India routes.

Guernsey-based Aurigny Air Services had the second-worst punctuality record for UK departures last year, with an average delay of 31 minutes and 12 seconds.
It was followed by Turkish low-cost leisure airline SunExpress (29 minutes and 36 seconds) and Air Portugal (25 minutes and 12 seconds).
Irish carrier Emerald Airlines recorded the best performance last year with UK departures delayed by an average of just 10 minutes and 30 seconds.
The analysis took into account all scheduled and chartered departures from UK airports by airlines operating more than 2,500 of these flights last year. Cancelled flights were not included.
The average delay for all these airlines was 18 minutes and 18 seconds, down from 20 minutes and 42 seconds in 2023.

Depending on the distance of the route and length of delay, passengers booked on flights from UK airports that are running behind schedule are entitled to assistance such as a reasonable amount of food and drink, a means to communicate and overnight accommodation if required.
Passengers may also be able to claim compensation of up to £520 (US$704) from the airline if the reason for the delay is deemed within its control, which could be a fault with the aircraft or pilot sickness.
“While the majority of airlines have made progress in reducing delays, with the average falling, delays can cause significant disruption and inconvenience to passengers,” said Anna Bowles, CAA’s head of consumers.
“Delays occur for many reasons, and we fully expect that airlines minimise the impact by providing timely information and upholding passengers’ rights when it applies.”


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Air India ranks dead last for punctuality in UK: ‘completely unacceptable’

An Air India passenger plane flies near houses as it makes its landing approach at Britain’s Heathrow Airport in west London. Photo: Reuters

A passenger arrives after disembarking from a flight at Heathrow Airport in London. Photo: AP

An Air India aircraft prepares to land at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai. Photo: E-a-EFE

 Turkish low-cost leisure airline SunExpress averaged delays of nearly 30 minutes at UK airports last year. Photo: Facebook/SunExpress

Passengers may be able to claim compensation of up to £520 for delays to UK flights. Photo: Shutterstock

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A Boeing 737 Max airliner taxis for an evaluation flight in Seattle. India’s airlines may acquire China-rejected Boeing jets. Photo: AFP

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Boeing 737 Max airliners in Renton, Washington. India’s airlines are eyeing Boeing jets rejected by China due to trade tensions. Photo: AP

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The interior of an Air India Airbus A350 aeroplane. A passenger urinated on a fellow traveller, despite the cabin’s lavatories being fully functional. Photo: Reuters

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An Air India Airbus A350 aeroplane, displayed at Begumpet airport, Hyderabad, India. Photo: Reuters

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Passengers at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images

An Indigo aircraft taxies at the Mumbai International airport. Photo: AFP

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Last year, the Indian flag carrier’s departures from UK airports were almost 46 minutes late on average


Last year, the Indian flag carrier’s departures from UK airports were almost 46 minutes late on average.


India

Britain