Manchester flight delays: which airline is most reliable?
1,182 flights a year cross the 3-hour line at Manchester
Each one worth £220 to £520 per passenger, depending on distance.
Most reliable airline here: Virgin Atlantic , 82.4% on time across 2,415 flights. Least reliable: Jet2.com , 49.4%.
In the last 12 months, 197,004 flights operated at Manchester, and 0.6% were 3 or more hours late, crossing the threshold where £220 to £520 per passenger becomes payable.
Punctuality is down on last year: 62.9% of flights ran on time against 65.2% in the twelve months before, and the average delay rose from 20 to 20.2 minutes.
| Manchester, last 12 months | Figure | vs year before |
|---|---|---|
| Flights at Manchester | 197,004 | was 191,772 |
| Ran on time (within 15 min) | 62.9% | ▼ was 65.2% |
| Average delay | 20.2 min | ▲ was 20 min |
| 3h+ late (compensation threshold) | 0.6% | - |
| Cancelled | 1.0% | - |
| Flights 3h+ late (a year) | 1,182 flights/year | - |
These are CAA figures for Manchester, arrivals and departures combined. Here's how each airline compares below.
Manchester, month by month
Worst month: September 2025, averaging 25.3 minutes.
Airlines at Manchester
| Airline | 3h+ % | On-time % |
|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | 0.6% | 67.9% |
| easyJet | 0.6% | 60.6% |
| Jet2.com | 0.6% | 49.4% |
| TUI Airways | 0.7% | 53.9% |
| Aer Lingus | 0.9% | 67.7% |
| Loganair | 0.6% | 74.2% |
| British Airways | 0.1% | 69.7% |
| Lufthansa | 0.2% | 65.8% |
| KLM | 0.4% | 61.1% |
| SAS | 0.2% | 73.6% |
| Turkish Airlines | 0.1% | 66.3% |
| Air France | 1.1% | 56.5% |
| Virgin Atlantic | 0.3% | 82.4% |
| Sunexpress | 0.3% | 69.1% |
| Qatar Airways | 0.3% | 72.4% |
| Emirates | 0.9% | 60.3% |
| Eurowings Luftverkehrs | 0.1% | 70.6% |
| Swiss Airlines | 0.1% | 55.6% |
| Pegasus Airlines | 0.5% | 63.5% |
| Etihad Airways | 0.4% | 64.4% |
| Brussels Airlines | 0.1% | 61.5% |
| Finnair | 0.1% | 72.4% |
| Aurigny Air Services | 1.6% | 72.6% |
| Norwegian | <0.5% | 60.2% |
| Vueling Airlines | 0.8% | 64.0% |
| Air Portugal | 0.7% | 45.7% |
| Ethiopian Airlines | <0.5% | 69.0% |
| Cathay Pacific Airways | 1.1% | 72.7% |
| Egypt Air | 0.4% | 41.3% |
| Saudi Arabian Airlines | 0.7% | 67.4% |
| Icelandair | 1.1% | 83.4% |
| Hainan Airlines | 0.2% | 75.7% |
| Indigo | 10.8% | 36.7% |
| Singapore Airlines | <0.5% | 71.2% |
| Iberia Express | <0.5% | 67.7% |
| Juneyao Airlines | 0.9% | 81.0% |
| Air Transat | 0.5% | 68.8% |
| Royal Air Maroc | 1.0% | 56.1% |
| Gulf Air | 5.0% | 61.9% |
| Aegean Airlines | <0.5% | 44.9% |
| Corendon Airlines | 1.2% | 71.0% |
Routes from Manchester
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 Manchester
Manchester 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.
Flying soon? We'll watch your flight
Enter your flight and email. The moment it goes 3+ hours late or gets cancelled, we email you what you're owed and how to claim it. Free, one email, no spam.
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.