How often are these flights late or cancelled?
Saudi Arabia
In the twelve months from July 2025 to June 2026, 29.7% of 4,205 movements arriving into the UK were disrupted — more than fifteen minutes late or cancelled at short notice.
Put the other way round, 70.3% of 4,205 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
29.7% of 4,205 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.
| Disruption | Short-notice cancellations | Delay among delayed movements | Over three hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29.7% of 4,205 movements | 2.6% of 4,205 movements | 34.5–67.5 minutes; delayed denominator 1,137–2,104 | 1.2% of 4,205 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?
1.2% of 4,205 movements passed the three-hour mark.
The ladder shows how many movements crossed each threshold. Cancellations are separate: 2.6% of 4,205 movements.
| Delay | Share and sample | One event per movements |
|---|---|---|
| More than 15 minutes | 27.0% of 4,205 movements | 3.7 |
| More than 30 minutes | 15.6% of 4,205 movements | 6.4 |
| More than 60 minutes | 6.1% of 4,205 movements | 16.4 |
| More than 120 minutes | 2.1% of 4,205 movements | 46.7 |
| More than 180 minutes | 1.2% of 4,205 movements | 85.8 |
| More than 360 minutes | 0.3% of 4,205 movements | 300.4 |
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?
2.1% of 4,205 movements passed two hours.
The histogram shows the published delay bands. Bucket shares use all reported operations, including unmatched records; cancellations are reported separately.
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: Aug 2023, 8.2% of 232 movements. Worst month: Apr 2022, 64.6% of 130 movements.
The line traces every month. Lower disruption is better; gaps are never zeros. Pandemic readings describe a different operating regime.
Every monthly observation
| Month | Disruption on arrivals |
|---|---|
| Jan 2018 | 56.0% of 141 movements |
| Feb 2018 | 34.5% of 119 movements |
| Mar 2018 | 38.8% of 139 movements |
| Apr 2018 | 36.2% of 141 movements |
| May 2018 | 26.2% of 145 movements |
| Jun 2018 | 18.6% of 140 movements |
| Jul 2018 | 19.0% of 147 movements |
| Aug 2018 | 29.1% of 151 movements |
| Sep 2018 | 24.3% of 140 movements |
| Oct 2018 | 19.7% of 142 movements |
| Nov 2018 | 25.4% of 126 movements |
| Dec 2018 | 49.7% of 143 movements |
| Jan 2019 | 42.9% of 147 movements |
| Feb 2019 | 28.5% of 130 movements |
| Mar 2019 | 34.9% of 129 movements |
| Apr 2019 | 54.6% of 141 movements |
| May 2019 | 37.1% of 140 movements |
| Jun 2019 | 29.8% of 141 movements |
| Jul 2019 | 29.9% of 147 movements |
| Aug 2019 | 43.2% of 146 movements |
| Sep 2019 | 30.5% of 131 movements |
| Oct 2019 | 32.6% of 144 movements |
| Nov 2019 | 35.2% of 125 movements |
| Dec 2019 | 41.8% of 170 movements |
| Jan 2020 | 51.8% of 168 movements |
| Feb 2020 | 63.2% of 155 movements |
| Mar 2020 | 40.4% of 99 movements |
| Apr 2020 | suppressed: fewer than twenty movements |
| May 2020 | 35.0% of 20 movements — small sample, not ranked |
| Jun 2020 | suppressed: fewer than twenty movements |
| Jul 2020 | suppressed: fewer than twenty movements |
| Aug 2020 | suppressed: fewer than twenty movements |
| Sep 2020 | suppressed: fewer than twenty movements |
| Oct 2020 | 29.6% of 27 movements — small sample, not ranked |
| Nov 2020 | 28.6% of 28 movements — small sample, not ranked |
| Dec 2020 | 32.1% of 28 movements — small sample, not ranked |
| Jan 2021 | 71.4% of 28 movements — small sample, not ranked |
| Feb 2021 | suppressed: fewer than twenty movements |
| Mar 2021 | suppressed: fewer than twenty movements |
| Apr 2021 | suppressed: fewer than twenty movements |
| May 2021 | 47.1% of 34 movements — small sample, not ranked |
| Jun 2021 | 22.0% of 41 movements — small sample, not ranked |
| Jul 2021 | 17.0% of 53 movements |
| Aug 2021 | 32.1% of 53 movements |
| Sep 2021 | 11.3% of 62 movements |
| Oct 2021 | 26.2% of 84 movements |
| Nov 2021 | 8.4% of 83 movements |
| Dec 2021 | 25.6% of 121 movements |
| Jan 2022 | 24.5% of 110 movements |
| Feb 2022 | 11.9% of 67 movements |
| Mar 2022 | 33.3% of 99 movements |
| Apr 2022 | 64.6% of 130 movements |
| May 2022 | 50.0% of 140 movements |
| Jun 2022 | 38.2% of 131 movements |
| Jul 2022 | 23.2% of 155 movements |
| Aug 2022 | 21.0% of 143 movements |
| Sep 2022 | 39.2% of 125 movements |
| Oct 2022 | 34.1% of 135 movements |
| Nov 2022 | 8.4% of 143 movements |
| Dec 2022 | 23.9% of 163 movements |
| Jan 2023 | 21.2% of 156 movements |
| Feb 2023 | 14.8% of 142 movements |
| Mar 2023 | 29.2% of 161 movements |
| Apr 2023 | 30.4% of 148 movements |
| May 2023 | 16.8% of 191 movements |
| Jun 2023 | 10.0% of 209 movements |
| Jul 2023 | 14.1% of 227 movements |
| Aug 2023 | 8.2% of 232 movements |
| Sep 2023 | 14.4% of 222 movements |
| Oct 2023 | 20.0% of 230 movements |
| Nov 2023 | 31.3% of 195 movements |
| Dec 2023 | 24.9% of 213 movements |
| Jan 2024 | 30.3% of 218 movements |
| Feb 2024 | 24.4% of 205 movements |
| Mar 2024 | 18.0% of 211 movements |
| Apr 2024 | 43.0% of 235 movements |
| May 2024 | 28.5% of 249 movements |
| Jun 2024 | 9.5% of 241 movements |
| Jul 2024 | 12.5% of 255 movements |
| Aug 2024 | 18.6% of 263 movements |
| Sep 2024 | 17.9% of 252 movements |
| Oct 2024 | 12.8% of 258 movements |
| Nov 2024 | 18.9% of 275 movements |
| Dec 2024 | 18.1% of 299 movements |
| Jan 2025 | 24.5% of 298 movements |
| Feb 2025 | 27.7% of 271 movements |
| Mar 2025 | 17.3% of 278 movements |
| Apr 2025 | 24.4% of 361 movements |
| May 2025 | 19.9% of 372 movements |
| Jun 2025 | 14.5% of 358 movements |
| Jul 2025 | 16.8% of 375 movements |
| Aug 2025 | 19.7% of 411 movements |
| Sep 2025 | 19.4% of 392 movements |
| Oct 2025 | 15.8% of 398 movements |
| Nov 2025 | 16.1% of 391 movements |
| Dec 2025 | 36.3% of 432 movements |
| Jan 2026 | 45.8% of 430 movements |
| Feb 2026 | 28.7% of 356 movements |
| Mar 2026 | 55.2% of 382 movements |
| Apr 2026 | 56.5% of 294 movements |
| May 2026 | 24.9% of 169 movements |
| Jun 2026 | 14.9% of 175 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.
| Event | Direction | Disruption that month | Baseline before | Return to baseline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pandemic regime · Jun 2020 | Arrivals | suppressed: fewer than twenty movements | no complete baseline | not enough data: needs a complete baseline and a publishable event month |
| Pandemic regime · Jun 2020 | Departures | 6.7% of 30 movements — small sample, not ranked | 34.7% across 1,482 flights | return observed after 4 months; first month not established |
| Summer 2022 breakdown · Jul 2022 | Arrivals | 23.2% of 155 movements | 28.6% across 1,133 flights | returned the next month |
| Summer 2022 breakdown · Jul 2022 | Departures | 84.5% of 155 movements | 32.6% across 1,137 flights | returned after 4 months |
| NATS system failure · Aug 2023 | Arrivals | 8.2% of 232 movements | 21.9% across 1,943 flights | returned the next month |
| NATS system failure · Aug 2023 | Departures | 55.2% of 232 movements | 40.4% across 1,941 flights | returned after 2 months |
| Heathrow fire closure · Mar 2025 | Arrivals | 17.3% of 278 movements | 20.8% across 3,107 flights | returned after 2 months |
| Heathrow fire closure · Mar 2025 | Departures | 22.4% of 281 movements | 35.9% across 3,111 flights | returned the next month |
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: Apr, 43.0% across 7 months. Lowest median: Jun, 14.9% 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.
Month-by-month table: median, observed range and sample
| Month | Median | Observed range | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30.3% | 21.2–56.0% | 7 months, 1,500 flights |
| Feb | 27.7% | 11.9–34.5% | 7 months, 1,290 flights |
| Mar | 33.3% | 17.3–55.2% | 7 months, 1,399 flights |
| Apr | 43.0% | 24.4–64.6% | 7 months, 1,450 flights |
| May | 26.2% | 16.8–50.0% | 7 months, 1,406 flights |
| Jun | 14.9% | 9.5–38.2% | 7 months, 1,395 flights |
| Jul | 17.9% | 12.5–29.9% | 6 months, 1,306 flights |
| Aug | 20.3% | 8.2–43.2% | 6 months, 1,346 flights |
| Sep | 21.8% | 14.4–39.2% | 6 months, 1,262 flights |
| Oct | 19.9% | 12.8–34.1% | 6 months, 1,307 flights |
| Nov | 22.2% | 8.4–35.2% | 6 months, 1,255 flights |
| Dec | 30.6% | 18.1–49.7% | 6 months, 1,420 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: LGW ↔ NEOM-BAY, 16.4% of 55 movements. Highest disruption: LHR ↔ DAMMAM, 56.7% of 127 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.
All route comparisons and sample flags
| Route | Disruption | Cancellations | Sample flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| LGW ↔ NEOM-BAY | 16.4% of 55 movements | no events in 55 movements | descriptive comparison |
| Heathrow ↔ Jeddah | 22.4% of 905 movements | 0.9% of 905 movements | descriptive comparison |
| Heathrow ↔ Riyadh | 26.0% of 1,928 movements | 2.6% of 1,928 movements | descriptive comparison |
| MAN ↔ JEDDAH | 29.0% of 348 movements | 1.1% of 348 movements | descriptive comparison |
| BHX ↔ JEDDAH | 34.2% of 152 movements | 5.3% of 152 movements | descriptive comparison |
| LGW ↔ MEDINA | 44.5% of 229 movements | 6.6% of 229 movements | descriptive comparison |
| LGW ↔ JEDDAH | 44.9% of 461 movements | 2.8% of 461 movements | descriptive comparison |
| LHR ↔ DAMMAM | 56.7% of 127 movements | 9.4% of 127 movements | descriptive 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 airport | Disruption | Sample flag |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 34.2% of 152 movements | descriptive comparison |
| Gatwick | 42.7% of 745 movements | descriptive comparison |
| Heathrow | 26.2% of 2,960 movements | descriptive comparison |
| Manchester | 29.0% of 348 movements | descriptive 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
29.7% of 4,205 movements arrivals were disrupted, against 30.1% of 4,220 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
1.2% of 4,205 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
Saudi Arabia appears from Jan 2018 to Jun 2026 with 17,533 arrivals.
The bounds describe the published record, not every commercial service. Final point is not necessarily a nonstop destination.
Archive route pairs: 28.
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?
29.7% of 4,205 movements over July 2025 to June 2026.
How often are they cancelled?
2.6% of 4,205 movements at short notice.
How late is late?
34.5–67.5 minutes; delayed denominator 1,137–2,104
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 complainDefinitions, 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.