Cardiff Wales flight delays: which airline is most reliable?
61 flights a year cross the 3-hour line at Cardiff Wales
Each one worth £220 to £520 per passenger, depending on distance.
Most reliable airline here: Ryanair , 74.9% on time across 1,535 flights. Least reliable: TUI Airways , 63.4%.
In the last 12 months, 7,639 flights operated at Cardiff Wales, and 0.8% were 3 or more hours late, crossing the threshold where £220 to £520 per passenger becomes payable.
Punctuality is down on last year: 69.5% of flights ran on time against 71.6% in the twelve months before, and the average delay rose from 16.5 to 17.8 minutes.
| Cardiff Wales, last 12 months | Figure | vs year before |
|---|---|---|
| Flights at Cardiff Wales | 7,639 | was 7,013 |
| Ran on time (within 15 min) | 69.5% | ▼ was 71.6% |
| Average delay | 17.8 min | ▲ was 16.5 min |
| 3h+ late (compensation threshold) | 0.8% | - |
| Cancelled | 1.0% | - |
| Flights 3h+ late (a year) | 61 flights/year | - |
These are CAA figures for Cardiff Wales, arrivals and departures combined. Here's how each airline compares below.
Cardiff Wales, month by month
Worst month: May 2026, averaging 24.6 minutes.
Airlines at Cardiff Wales
| Airline | 3h+ % | On-time % |
|---|---|---|
| TUI Airways | 1.0% | 63.4% |
| Ryanair | 0.5% | 74.9% |
| KLM | 0.4% | 73.0% |
| Emerald Airlines | 1.2% | 73.1% |
| Vueling Airlines | <0.5% | 76.6% |
Your rights from Cardiff Wales
Cardiff Wales is a UK airport, so every flight departing from it is covered by UK261, whichever airline operates it. Delays of 3 or more hours pay £220 to £520 per passenger depending on distance. See the full breakdown on the 3-hour rule. Cancelled instead of delayed? Broadly the same amounts apply under different conditions. See cancelled flight compensation.
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Other UK airports
Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority punctuality statistics, July 2025 to June 2026. Analysis by CheckFlightCompensation; the CAA is credited as the data source as its publication conditions require. Figures cover the 25 largest UK airports.