Flights between Heathrow and Abu Dhabi International: what a delay is worth
Leaving Heathrow
£520 per passenger, UK261
Leaving Abu Dhabi International
£520 per passenger, UK261
Abu Dhabi International is outside the UK and EU, so coming back this only applies if a UK or EU airline operated the flight.
Either figure is payable only when the delay was within the airline's control. A technical fault, a crew shortage or a late inbound aircraft all count; genuinely extraordinary circumstances such as severe weather or an air traffic control restriction do not.
Heathrow and Abu Dhabi International are 5,516 km apart (Over 3,500 km), and that distance is all that decides the amount. Which figure applies depends only on which end of the route you departed from, not which way you were travelling.
In the last 12 months, 2,986 flights operated between Heathrow and Abu Dhabi International, and 0.3% were 3 or more hours late, the threshold where £520 per passenger becomes payable under UK261 (€600 under EU261).
Punctuality is down on last year: 73.9% of flights ran on time against 76.8% in the twelve months before, and the average delay rose from 13 to 13.7 minutes.
| Heathrow to Abu Dhabi International, last 12 months | Figure | vs year before |
|---|---|---|
| Flights on this route | 2,986 | was 3,439 |
| Ran on time (within 15 min) | 73.9% | ▼ was 76.8% |
| Average delay | 13.7 min | ▲ was 13 min |
| 3h+ late (compensation threshold) | 0.3% | - |
| Cancelled | 2.4% | - |
| Flights 3h+ late (a year) | 9 flights/year | - |
The CAA's figures don't separate arrivals from departures, so this covers the route both ways.
Heathrow to Abu Dhabi International, month by month
Worst month: May 2026, averaging 31.6 minutes.
Airlines flying this route
| Airline | 3h+ % | On-time % |
|---|---|---|
| Etihad Airways | 0.3% | 72.6% |
| British Airways | <0.5% | 88.4% |
Your rights on this route
Every flight leaving Heathrow for Abu Dhabi International is covered by UK261, whichever airline operates it. Flights the other way, leaving Abu Dhabi International for Heathrow, are covered too if a UK or EU airline operated them; a flight that way on a non-UK, non-EU carrier falls outside UK261, though the Montreal Convention may still give you a claim. 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 somewhere else in United Arab Emirates? See every route between the UK and United Arab Emirates.
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 routes from Heathrow
See all 200 routes · See all UK airports · See all airlines · See all countries
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.