UK FLIGHT DELAY INDEX

derived from CAA punctuality statistics for UK reporting airports

How often are these flights late or cancelled?

Brussels Airlines

In the twelve months from July 2025 to June 2026, 30.4% of 2,069 movements arriving into the UK were disrupted — more than fifteen minutes late or cancelled at short notice.

Put the other way round, 69.6% of 2,069 movements met the fifteen-minute convention. These are historical observations, not a forecast.

Definitions, denominators and limits

Arrivals into UK reporting airports only unless labelled departures. Denominator: operated movements plus short-notice cancellations (M+C). A movement is not a scheduled flight. Unmatched records are data quality, not outcomes. Cells below twenty movements are suppressed; twenty to forty-nine are descriptive and not ranked.

Source: CAA punctuality statistics · snapshot 17/08/2026 10:24 · method route-record-v2.1 · Versioned claims, formulas and entity mapping.

0 operations (0.00%) excluded because their published percentages could not be reconciled to whole numbers. Excluded operations enter neither the numerator nor the denominator. Outcome figures and comparisons are unavailable when the excluded share exceeds fifteen percent.

The four numbers at a glance

30.4% of 2,069 movements were disrupted over July 2025 to June 2026.

Average delay covers delayed movements only. Its range reflects rounded source means and the unknown count of exactly punctual movements.

DisruptionShort-notice cancellationsDelay among delayed movementsOver three hours
30.4% of 2,069 movements1.1% of 2,069 movements21.5–50.7 minutes; delayed denominator 607–1,3340.2% of 2,069 movements
Definitions, denominators and limits

Arrivals into UK reporting airports only unless labelled departures. Denominator: operated movements plus short-notice cancellations (M+C). A movement is not a scheduled flight. Unmatched records are data quality, not outcomes. Cells below twenty movements are suppressed; twenty to forty-nine are descriptive and not ranked.

When late, how late?

0.2% of 2,069 movements passed the three-hour mark.

The ladder shows how many movements crossed each threshold. Cancellations are separate: 1.1% of 2,069 movements.

DelayShare and sampleOne event per movements
More than 15 minutes29.3% of 2,069 movements3.4
More than 30 minutes15.1% of 2,069 movements6.6
More than 60 minutes5.3% of 2,069 movements19.0
More than 120 minutes0.9% of 2,069 movements108.9
More than 180 minutes0.2% of 2,069 movements517.2
More than 360 minutesno events in 2,069 movementsNo observed events; this is not zero risk.
Definitions, denominators and limits

Arrivals into UK reporting airports only unless labelled departures. Denominator: operated movements plus short-notice cancellations (M+C). A movement is not a scheduled flight. Unmatched records are data quality, not outcomes. Cells below twenty movements are suppressed; twenty to forty-nine are descriptive and not ranked.

Slightly late or occasionally a disaster?

0.9% of 2,069 movements passed two hours.

The histogram shows the published delay bands. Bucket shares use all reported operations, including unmatched records; cancellations are reported separately.

Nine delay buckets, minutes; share of all recorded operations>15 early783.8%15–1 early63530.7%0–15 late72735.1%16–3029414.2%31–602049.9%61…120904.3%121…180150.7%181…36040.2%>36000.0%D=2,069
Definitions, denominators and limits

Arrivals into UK reporting airports only unless labelled departures. Denominator: operated movements plus short-notice cancellations (M+C). A movement is not a scheduled flight. Unmatched records are data quality, not outcomes. Cells below twenty movements are suppressed; twenty to forty-nine are descriptive and not ranked.

Better or worse since the start of the archive?

Best month: Jun 2021, 6.8% of 73 movements. Worst month: Jul 2022, 56.7% of 180 movements.

The line traces every month. Lower disruption is better; gaps are never zeros. Pandemic readings describe a different operating regime.

Monthly disruption share; gaps mean no published dataJan 2018: 25.6%; sample: 2972018Feb 2018: 29.8%; sample: 272Mar 2018: 34.4%; sample: 299Apr 2018: 28.8%; sample: 295May 2018: 34.8%; sample: 299Jun 2018: 39.9%; sample: 276Jul 2018: 45.7%; sample: 293Aug 2018: 26.6%; sample: 304Sep 2018: 29.9%; sample: 284Oct 2018: 25.6%; sample: 309Nov 2018: 18.4%; sample: 294Dec 2018: 28.4%; sample: 275Jan 2019: 15.9%; sample: 2962019Feb 2019: 16.5%; sample: 267Mar 2019: 32.5%; sample: 295Apr 2019: 34.7%; sample: 297May 2019: 23.2%; sample: 310Jun 2019: 34.8%; sample: 290Jul 2019: 37.5%; sample: 304Aug 2019: 24.5%; sample: 302Sep 2019: 33.3%; sample: 327Oct 2019: 27.7%; sample: 336Nov 2019: 13.1%; sample: 352Dec 2019: 18.3%; sample: 334Jan 2020: 11.6%; sample: 3612020Feb 2020: 23.6%; sample: 339Mar 2020: 34.5%; sample: 252Apr 2020: suppressed: fewer than twenty movements×May 2020: suppressed: fewer than twenty movements×Jun 2020: suppressed: fewer than twenty movements×Jul 2020: suppressed: fewer than twenty movements×Aug 2020: 6.2%; sample: 32Sep 2020: 6.7%; sample: 30Oct 2020: 2.9%; sample: 34Nov 2020: 0.0%; sample: 39Dec 2020: 14.3%; sample: 42Jan 2021: 12.5%; sample: 402021Feb 2021: 22.2%; sample: 36Mar 2021: 35.9%; sample: 39Apr 2021: 7.1%; sample: 42May 2021: 8.5%; sample: 47Jun 2021: 6.8%; sample: 73Jul 2021: 10.1%; sample: 99Aug 2021: 17.3%; sample: 98Sep 2021: 16.0%; sample: 119Oct 2021: 12.1%; sample: 116Nov 2021: 18.1%; sample: 127Dec 2021: 14.4%; sample: 125Jan 2022: 11.2%; sample: 1072022Feb 2022: 14.7%; sample: 75Mar 2022: 13.9%; sample: 115Apr 2022: 22.9%; sample: 175May 2022: 22.1%; sample: 190Jun 2022: 43.2%; sample: 192Jul 2022: 56.7%; sample: 180Aug 2022: 34.0%; sample: 188Sep 2022: 46.0%; sample: 224Oct 2022: 24.9%; sample: 221Nov 2022: 11.9%; sample: 202Dec 2022: 40.4%; sample: 203Jan 2023: 14.1%; sample: 1982023Feb 2023: 14.4%; sample: 180Mar 2023: 23.2%; sample: 207Apr 2023: 34.8%; sample: 204May 2023: 24.4%; sample: 221Jun 2023: 47.6%; sample: 208Jul 2023: 38.7%; sample: 191Aug 2023: 31.6%; sample: 196Sep 2023: 42.5%; sample: 212Oct 2023: 27.3%; sample: 227Nov 2023: 21.0%; sample: 229Dec 2023: 27.9%; sample: 222Jan 2024: 25.6%; sample: 1762024Feb 2024: 20.5%; sample: 215Mar 2024: 14.6%; sample: 212Apr 2024: 29.6%; sample: 186May 2024: 17.6%; sample: 204Jun 2024: 24.6%; sample: 195Jul 2024: 30.2%; sample: 205Aug 2024: 20.7%; sample: 203Sep 2024: 38.8%; sample: 196Oct 2024: 24.2%; sample: 190Nov 2024: 21.4%; sample: 206Dec 2024: 29.1%; sample: 213Jan 2025: 27.6%; sample: 1742025Feb 2025: 16.1%; sample: 193Mar 2025: 13.9%; sample: 201Apr 2025: 22.9%; sample: 205May 2025: 16.9%; sample: 225Jun 2025: 29.1%; sample: 223Jul 2025: 34.4%; sample: 227Aug 2025: 26.2%; sample: 221Sep 2025: 43.9%; sample: 221Oct 2025: 31.3%; sample: 201Nov 2025: 39.7%; sample: 136Dec 2025: 30.1%; sample: 146Jan 2026: 35.6%; sample: 1322026Feb 2026: 29.2%; sample: 137Mar 2026: 19.3%; sample: 150Apr 2026: 22.8%; sample: 167May 2026: 17.5%; sample: 166Jun 2026: 31.5%; sample: 165Pandemic regime Jun 2020Summer 2022 breakdown Jul 2022NATS system failure Aug 2023Heathrow fire closure Mar 2025100%0%
Every monthly observation
MonthDisruption on arrivals
Jan 201825.6% of 297 movements
Feb 201829.8% of 272 movements
Mar 201834.4% of 299 movements
Apr 201828.8% of 295 movements
May 201834.8% of 299 movements
Jun 201839.9% of 276 movements
Jul 201845.7% of 293 movements
Aug 201826.6% of 304 movements
Sep 201829.9% of 284 movements
Oct 201825.6% of 309 movements
Nov 201818.4% of 294 movements
Dec 201828.4% of 275 movements
Jan 201915.9% of 296 movements
Feb 201916.5% of 267 movements
Mar 201932.5% of 295 movements
Apr 201934.7% of 297 movements
May 201923.2% of 310 movements
Jun 201934.8% of 290 movements
Jul 201937.5% of 304 movements
Aug 201924.5% of 302 movements
Sep 201933.3% of 327 movements
Oct 201927.7% of 336 movements
Nov 201913.1% of 352 movements
Dec 201918.3% of 334 movements
Jan 202011.6% of 361 movements
Feb 202023.6% of 339 movements
Mar 202034.5% of 252 movements
Apr 2020suppressed: fewer than twenty movements
May 2020suppressed: fewer than twenty movements
Jun 2020suppressed: fewer than twenty movements
Jul 2020suppressed: fewer than twenty movements
Aug 20206.2% of 32 movements — small sample, not ranked
Sep 20206.7% of 30 movements — small sample, not ranked
Oct 20202.9% of 34 movements — small sample, not ranked
Nov 2020no events in 39 movements — small sample, not ranked
Dec 202014.3% of 42 movements — small sample, not ranked
Jan 202112.5% of 40 movements — small sample, not ranked
Feb 202122.2% of 36 movements — small sample, not ranked
Mar 202135.9% of 39 movements — small sample, not ranked
Apr 20217.1% of 42 movements — small sample, not ranked
May 20218.5% of 47 movements — small sample, not ranked
Jun 20216.8% of 73 movements
Jul 202110.1% of 99 movements
Aug 202117.3% of 98 movements
Sep 202116.0% of 119 movements
Oct 202112.1% of 116 movements
Nov 202118.1% of 127 movements
Dec 202114.4% of 125 movements
Jan 202211.2% of 107 movements
Feb 202214.7% of 75 movements
Mar 202213.9% of 115 movements
Apr 202222.9% of 175 movements
May 202222.1% of 190 movements
Jun 202243.2% of 192 movements
Jul 202256.7% of 180 movements
Aug 202234.0% of 188 movements
Sep 202246.0% of 224 movements
Oct 202224.9% of 221 movements
Nov 202211.9% of 202 movements
Dec 202240.4% of 203 movements
Jan 202314.1% of 198 movements
Feb 202314.4% of 180 movements
Mar 202323.2% of 207 movements
Apr 202334.8% of 204 movements
May 202324.4% of 221 movements
Jun 202347.6% of 208 movements
Jul 202338.7% of 191 movements
Aug 202331.6% of 196 movements
Sep 202342.5% of 212 movements
Oct 202327.3% of 227 movements
Nov 202321.0% of 229 movements
Dec 202327.9% of 222 movements
Jan 202425.6% of 176 movements
Feb 202420.5% of 215 movements
Mar 202414.6% of 212 movements
Apr 202429.6% of 186 movements
May 202417.6% of 204 movements
Jun 202424.6% of 195 movements
Jul 202430.2% of 205 movements
Aug 202420.7% of 203 movements
Sep 202438.8% of 196 movements
Oct 202424.2% of 190 movements
Nov 202421.4% of 206 movements
Dec 202429.1% of 213 movements
Jan 202527.6% of 174 movements
Feb 202516.1% of 193 movements
Mar 202513.9% of 201 movements
Apr 202522.9% of 205 movements
May 202516.9% of 225 movements
Jun 202529.1% of 223 movements
Jul 202534.4% of 227 movements
Aug 202526.2% of 221 movements
Sep 202543.9% of 221 movements
Oct 202531.3% of 201 movements
Nov 202539.7% of 136 movements
Dec 202530.1% of 146 movements
Jan 202635.6% of 132 movements
Feb 202629.2% of 137 movements
Mar 202619.3% of 150 movements
Apr 202622.8% of 167 movements
May 202617.5% of 166 movements
Jun 202631.5% of 165 movements
Definitions, denominators and limits

Arrivals into UK reporting airports only unless labelled departures. Denominator: operated movements plus short-notice cancellations (M+C). A movement is not a scheduled flight. Unmatched records are data quality, not outcomes. Cells below twenty movements are suppressed; twenty to forty-nine are descriptive and not ranked.

What did the big disruptions do here?

Each event is compared with the twelve preceding calendar months and the first later return to baseline.

A worse month is not proof the named event caused it. The open data carry no delay-cause field. Recovery is observed for at most eight subsequent months.

EventDirectionDisruption that monthBaseline beforeReturn to baseline
Pandemic regime · Jun 2020Arrivalssuppressed: fewer than twenty movementsno complete baselinenot enough data: needs a complete baseline and a publishable event month
Pandemic regime · Jun 2020Departuressuppressed: fewer than twenty movementsno complete baselinenot enough data: needs a complete baseline and a publishable event month
Summer 2022 breakdown · Jul 2022Arrivals56.7% of 180 movements18.0% across 1,538 flightsreturned after 4 months
Summer 2022 breakdown · Jul 2022Departures77.5% of 178 movements28.3% across 1,533 flightsreturned after 6 months
NATS system failure · Aug 2023Arrivals31.6% of 196 movements29.5% across 2,447 flightsreturned after 2 months
NATS system failure · Aug 2023Departures52.8% of 195 movements43.4% across 2,447 flightsreturned after 2 months
Heathrow fire closure · Mar 2025Arrivals13.9% of 201 movements24.5% across 2,377 flightsreturned the next month
Heathrow fire closure · Mar 2025Departures23.6% of 203 movements35.3% across 2,379 flightsstill above it 8 months later
Definitions, denominators and limits

Arrivals into UK reporting airports only unless labelled departures. Denominator: operated movements plus short-notice cancellations (M+C). A movement is not a scheduled flight. Unmatched records are data quality, not outcomes. Cells below twenty movements are suppressed; twenty to forty-nine are descriptive and not ranked.

Which time of year has been hardest?

Highest median: Sep, 40.6% across 6 months. Lowest median: Feb, 16.5% across 7 months.

Even the same calendar month differs across years. This is a record, not a forecast; pandemic years are excluded from the summaries.

Each cell is one calendar month of one year; the number is the share of that month’s arrivals that were disrupted. Darker means worse. A blank cell means no published data, not zero.

Seasonality: calendar month by year; share and nJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec201915.9% of 296 movements16.5% of 267 movements32.5% of 295 movements34.7% of 297 movements23.2% of 310 movements34.8% of 290 movements37.5% of 304 movements24.5% of 302 movements33.3% of 327 movements27.7% of 336 movements13.1% of 352 movements18.3% of 334 movements202011.6% of 361 movements23.6% of 339 movements34.5% of 252 movementssuppressed: fewer than twenty movementssuppressed: fewer than twenty movementssuppressed: fewer than twenty movementssuppressed: fewer than twenty movements6.2% of 32 movements †6.7% of 30 movements †2.9% of 34 movements †no events in 39 movements †14.3% of 42 movements †202112.5% of 40 movements †22.2% of 36 movements †35.9% of 39 movements †7.1% of 42 movements †8.5% of 47 movements †6.8% of 73 movements10.1% of 99 movements17.3% of 98 movements16.0% of 119 movements12.1% of 116 movements18.1% of 127 movements14.4% of 125 movements202211.2% of 107 movements14.7% of 75 movements13.9% of 115 movements22.9% of 175 movements22.1% of 190 movements43.2% of 192 movements56.7% of 180 movements34.0% of 188 movements46.0% of 224 movements24.9% of 221 movements11.9% of 202 movements40.4% of 203 movements202314.1% of 198 movements14.4% of 180 movements23.2% of 207 movements34.8% of 204 movements24.4% of 221 movements47.6% of 208 movements38.7% of 191 movements31.6% of 196 movements42.5% of 212 movements27.3% of 227 movements21.0% of 229 movements27.9% of 222 movements202425.6% of 176 movements20.5% of 215 movements14.6% of 212 movements29.6% of 186 movements17.6% of 204 movements24.6% of 195 movements30.2% of 205 movements20.7% of 203 movements38.8% of 196 movements24.2% of 190 movements21.4% of 206 movements29.1% of 213 movements202527.6% of 174 movements16.1% of 193 movements13.9% of 201 movements22.9% of 205 movements16.9% of 225 movements29.1% of 223 movements34.4% of 227 movements26.2% of 221 movements43.9% of 221 movements31.3% of 201 movements39.7% of 136 movements30.1% of 146 movements202635.6% of 132 movements29.2% of 137 movements19.3% of 150 movements22.8% of 167 movements17.5% of 166 movements31.5% of 165 movementsno datano datano datano datano datano data
Month-by-month table: median, observed range and sample
MonthMedianObserved rangeSample
Jan25.6%11.2–35.6%7 months, 1,380 flights
Feb16.5%14.4–29.8%7 months, 1,339 flights
Mar19.3%13.9–34.4%7 months, 1,479 flights
Apr28.8%22.8–34.8%7 months, 1,529 flights
May22.1%16.9–34.8%7 months, 1,615 flights
Jun34.8%24.6–47.6%7 months, 1,549 flights
Jul38.1%30.2–56.7%6 months, 1,400 flights
Aug26.4%20.7–34.0%6 months, 1,414 flights
Sep40.6%29.9–46.0%6 months, 1,464 flights
Oct26.4%24.2–31.3%6 months, 1,484 flights
Nov19.7%11.9–39.7%6 months, 1,419 flights
Dec28.7%18.3–40.4%6 months, 1,393 flights
Definitions, denominators and limits

Arrivals into UK reporting airports only unless labelled departures. Denominator: operated movements plus short-notice cancellations (M+C). A movement is not a scheduled flight. Unmatched records are data quality, not outcomes. Cells below twenty movements are suppressed; twenty to forty-nine are descriptive and not ranked.

Which routes have the best and worst record?

Lowest disruption: MAN ↔ BRUSSELS, 29.0% of 631 movements. Highest disruption: BHX ↔ BRUSSELS, 39.3% of 89 movements.

The airline table uses this carrier on each route; airport and country tables combine carriers. Each figure is arrivals into its UK airport. Only sufficiently large exact samples enter the ordered comparison.

Observed disruption share by optionMan ↔ Brussels29.0% of 631 flightsLhr ↔ Brussels30.3% of 1,119 flightsEdi ↔ Brussels31.4% of 229 flightsBhx ↔ Brussels39.3% of 89 flights
All route comparisons and sample flags
RouteDisruptionCancellationsSample flag
Manchester ↔ Brussels29.0% of 631 movements0.8% of 631 movementsdescriptive comparison
Heathrow ↔ Brussels30.3% of 1,119 movements1.1% of 1,119 movementsdescriptive comparison
EDI ↔ BRUSSELS31.4% of 229 movements0.4% of 229 movementsdescriptive comparison
BHX ↔ BRUSSELS39.3% of 89 movements4.5% of 89 movementsdescriptive comparison
Definitions, denominators and limits

Arrivals into UK reporting airports only unless labelled departures. Denominator: operated movements plus short-notice cancellations (M+C). A movement is not a scheduled flight. Unmatched records are data quality, not outcomes. Cells below twenty movements are suppressed; twenty to forty-nine are descriptive and not ranked.

Which UK airports appear in this record?

4 published groups have enough arrivals to describe.

These operations are not matched for season, aircraft or time of day. The table makes no causal comparison.

UK airportDisruptionSample flag
Birmingham39.3% of 89 movementsdescriptive comparison
Edinburgh31.4% of 229 movementsdescriptive comparison
Heathrow30.3% of 1,119 movementsdescriptive comparison
Manchester29.0% of 631 movementsdescriptive comparison
Definitions, denominators and limits

Arrivals into UK reporting airports only unless labelled departures. Denominator: operated movements plus short-notice cancellations (M+C). A movement is not a scheduled flight. Unmatched records are data quality, not outcomes. Cells below twenty movements are suppressed; twenty to forty-nine are descriptive and not ranked.

Arrivals vs departures

30.4% of 2,069 movements arrivals were disrupted, against 46.1% of 2,074 movements departures.

The directions have separate denominators. A departure delay does not establish late arrival at the final destination; legal conditions differ by direction and carrier.

Definitions, denominators and limits

Arrivals into UK reporting airports only unless labelled departures. Denominator: operated movements plus short-notice cancellations (M+C). A movement is not a scheduled flight. Unmatched records are data quality, not outcomes. Cells below twenty movements are suppressed; twenty to forty-nine are descriptive and not ranked.

Movements past the three-hour mark

0.2% of 2,069 movements were more than three hours late over July 2025 to June 2026.

Cancellation is counted separately and is not a three-hour delay. Monthly counts cannot establish a passenger claim.

Definitions, denominators and limits

Arrivals into UK reporting airports only unless labelled departures. Denominator: operated movements plus short-notice cancellations (M+C). A movement is not a scheduled flight. Unmatched records are data quality, not outcomes. Cells below twenty movements are suppressed; twenty to forty-nine are descriptive and not ranked.

Facts about this record

Brussels Airlines appears from Jan 2018 to Jun 2026 with 19,578 arrivals.

The bounds describe the published record, not every commercial service. Final point is not necessarily a nonstop destination.

Archive route pairs: 24.

Definitions, denominators and limits

Arrivals into UK reporting airports only unless labelled departures. Denominator: operated movements plus short-notice cancellations (M+C). A movement is not a scheduled flight. Unmatched records are data quality, not outcomes. Cells below twenty movements are suppressed; twenty to forty-nine are descriptive and not ranked.

What this data cannot tell you

Delay cause, individual passenger experience, commercial decisions and future performance are not established here.

Also absent are aircraft type, within-month time-of-day splits and cancellations made ahead of the short-notice reporting window.

0 operations (0.00%) excluded because their published percentages could not be reconciled to whole numbers. Excluded operations enter neither the numerator nor the denominator. Outcome figures and comparisons are unavailable when the excluded share exceeds fifteen percent.

Definitions, denominators and limits

Arrivals into UK reporting airports only unless labelled departures. Denominator: operated movements plus short-notice cancellations (M+C). A movement is not a scheduled flight. Unmatched records are data quality, not outcomes. Cells below twenty movements are suppressed; twenty to forty-nine are descriptive and not ranked.

Quick answers

These answers use the same populations and window as the tables above.

Every percentage retains its denominator.

How disrupted are these arrivals?

30.4% of 2,069 movements over July 2025 to June 2026.

How often are they cancelled?

1.1% of 2,069 movements at short notice.

How late is late?

21.5–50.7 minutes; delayed denominator 607–1,334

Are services improving?

The monthly line records past changes; it is not a forecast or a causal comparison.

Which routes are compared?

The route table uses separately identified UK airport and final-point pairs, with small samples flagged.

Does this cover my flight?

Only published aggregate movements; the circumstances of any individual flight are unknown.

Definitions, denominators and limits

Arrivals into UK reporting airports only unless labelled departures. Denominator: operated movements plus short-notice cancellations (M+C). A movement is not a scheduled flight. Unmatched records are data quality, not outcomes. Cells below twenty movements are suppressed; twenty to forty-nine are descriptive and not ranked.

How this was calculated

Source: CAA punctuality statistics · snapshot 17/08/2026 10:24 · method route-record-v2.1 · Versioned claims, formulas and entity mapping.

Integer bucket counts are recovered from rounding intervals over D=M+C+U with their sum constrained to M. Ambiguous counts remain ranges; failed reconciliation is quarantined.

Definitions, denominators and limits

Arrivals into UK reporting airports only unless labelled departures. Denominator: operated movements plus short-notice cancellations (M+C). A movement is not a scheduled flight. Unmatched records are data quality, not outcomes. Cells below twenty movements are suppressed; twenty to forty-nine are descriptive and not ranked.

Your trip has already gone wrong

The monthly line and events table show whether your month was typical or unusual in the published record.

Nothing here decides an individual case or what a passenger may be owed.

CAA: the official route to complain
Definitions, denominators and limits

Arrivals into UK reporting airports only unless labelled departures. Denominator: operated movements plus short-notice cancellations (M+C). A movement is not a scheduled flight. Unmatched records are data quality, not outcomes. Cells below twenty movements are suppressed; twenty to forty-nine are descriptive and not ranked.