Heathrow flight delays: which airline is most reliable?
2,355 flights a year cross the 3-hour line at Heathrow
Each one worth £220 to £520 per passenger, depending on distance.
Most reliable airline here: China Southern , 89.7% on time across 1,688 flights. Least reliable: Air India , 42.3%.
In the last 12 months, 471,060 flights operated at Heathrow, and 0.5% were 3 or more hours late, crossing the threshold where £220 to £520 per passenger becomes payable.
Punctuality is up on last year: 76.1% of flights ran on time against 72.0% in the twelve months before, and the average delay fell from 15.6 to 13.3 minutes.
| Heathrow, last 12 months | Figure | vs year before |
|---|---|---|
| Flights at Heathrow | 471,060 | was 472,953 |
| Ran on time (within 15 min) | 76.1% | ▲ was 72.0% |
| Average delay | 13.3 min | ▼ was 15.6 min |
| 3h+ late (compensation threshold) | 0.5% | - |
| Cancelled | 1.4% | - |
| Flights 3h+ late (a year) | 2,355 flights/year | - |
These are CAA figures for Heathrow, arrivals and departures combined. Here's how each airline compares below.
Heathrow, month by month
Worst month: July 2025, averaging 18.5 minutes.
Airlines at Heathrow
| Airline | 3h+ % | On-time % |
|---|---|---|
| British Airways | 0.4% | 77.2% |
| Virgin Atlantic | 0.3% | 81.7% |
| American Airlines | 1.9% | 73.9% |
| Lufthansa | 0.1% | 73.1% |
| United Airlines | 1.9% | 76.9% |
| Aer Lingus | 0.1% | 78.2% |
| Swiss Airlines | <0.5% | 72.0% |
| Eurowings Luftverkehrs | 0.2% | 69.2% |
| SAS | 0.1% | 84.4% |
| Delta Air Lines | 0.8% | 80.2% |
| Air Canada | 1.0% | 75.2% |
| Iberia | 0.2% | 78.7% |
| KLM | 0.3% | 75.8% |
| Qatar Airways | 0.4% | 74.8% |
| Air India | 2.2% | 42.3% |
| Air France | 0.2% | 73.4% |
| Turkish Airlines | 0.2% | 76.6% |
| Emirates | 0.4% | 69.4% |
| Air Portugal | 0.2% | 64.1% |
| Loganair | 0.3% | 78.6% |
| Vueling Airlines | 0.3% | 77.8% |
| Cathay Pacific Airways | 0.8% | 68.0% |
| Saudi Arabian Airlines | 1.5% | 72.5% |
| Finnair | 0.1% | 74.1% |
| Austrian Airlines | 0.1% | 75.9% |
| Singapore Airlines | 0.3% | 81.8% |
| Etihad Airways | 0.3% | 72.6% |
| Aegean Airlines | 0.1% | 75.7% |
| Egypt Air | 0.3% | 62.5% |
| Brussels Airlines | 0.3% | 60.8% |
| JetBlue Airways | 0.5% | 83.4% |
| LOT Polish Airlines | 0.1% | 65.8% |
| Scandinavian Airlines Ireland | 0.1% | 83.6% |
| Air China | 0.2% | 83.1% |
| China Southern | 0.3% | 89.7% |
| Qantas | 1.6% | 76.4% |
| Malaysian Airlines System-Mas | 0.3% | 82.1% |
| Thai Airways International | 0.1% | 83.8% |
| Japan Airlines | 0.3% | 79.7% |
| Icelandair | 0.7% | 85.0% |
| Gulf Air | 0.8% | 77.7% |
| El Al | 0.6% | 73.9% |
| Kuwait Airways | 1.6% | 75.7% |
| Oman Air | 0.2% | 72.2% |
| Royal Air Maroc | 0.1% | 55.6% |
| Middle East Airlines (Air Liban S A L) | 0.1% | 75.1% |
| Km Malta Airlines | <0.5% | 89.0% |
| Air Serbia | 0.6% | 72.8% |
| SriLankan Airlines | 0.4% | 67.6% |
| Royal Jordanian | 0.7% | 82.4% |
| Ethiopian Airlines | 0.3% | 76.6% |
| Asiana Airlines | 0.1% | 55.9% |
| Korean Air | <0.5% | 73.2% |
| Eva Air | <0.5% | 80.0% |
| Tam Linhas Aereas | 0.3% | 72.5% |
| Avianca Colombia | 2.0% | 82.0% |
| Aeromexico | 0.5% | 83.6% |
| All Nippon Airways | 0.7% | 81.6% |
| Kenya Airways | 4.2% | 61.8% |
| China Eastern Airlines | 0.1% | 81.1% |
| West Jet Airlines | 0.9% | 67.2% |
| Indigo | 2.0% | 52.1% |
| Vietnam Airlines | 0.6% | 74.6% |
| Rwandair | 3.0% | 72.2% |
| Biman Bangladesh Airlines | 5.8% | 69.5% |
| China Airlines | 0.8% | 72.3% |
| Shenzhen Airlines | 0.8% | 82.3% |
| Air Algerie | 2.3% | 64.4% |
| Bulgaria Air | <0.5% | 80.9% |
| Riyadh Air | 0.7% | 83.6% |
| Croatia Airlines | 0.5% | 43.0% |
| Italia Traspoto Aereo | 0.5% | 73.1% |
| Tianjin Airlines | 0.3% | 83.3% |
| Hainan Airlines | <0.5% | 89.1% |
| Azerbaijan Airlines (Azal) | <0.5% | 74.5% |
| Royal Brunei Airlines | 0.9% | 66.8% |
Routes from Heathrow
The exact UK261/EU261 figure for a 3+ hour delay on each, worked out from the real distance rather than the range most sites quote.
Your rights from Heathrow
Heathrow 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.