Flight delays: World’s ‘worst’ airports ranked (Image: Getty Images)
The world’s worst airports for delayed flights have been revealed, with one UK airport among the named. The shocking statistics, uncovered by OnlineCasino.ca, show that passengers from Manila, Frankfurt and Paris airports are more likely to be faced with lengthy delays than anywhere else in the world. Meanwhile, the only British airport to make the list was London’s Gatwick airport, ranking fifth, with 30 percent of all flights departing behind schedule.
Flight delays: Gatwick airport was the only UK airport to appear in the list (Image: Getty Images )
The capital of the Philippines, Manila, took the crown as the world’s worst airport when it comes to delayed flights, with a whopping 36 percent of its flights failing to leave on time.
Out of its 147,902 yearly aircraft departures, travellers across 53,245 flights missed their expected takeoff time.
Frankfurt and Paris followed closely behind with 34 percent and 32 percent of flights delayed, respectively.
Other airports to feature in the list include Barcelona, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Munich, Rome and Newark.
Contrastingly, it was Tokyo Haneda airport which came out on top as the airport passengers are most likely to enjoy a prompt take off.
The airport saw just 11 percent of its annual aircraft departures delayed-translating to 26,562 delays across its 241,474 flights.
Other celebrated airports were Shanghai, Chengdu, Minneapolis and Detroit, all seeing just 15 percent their flight times running behind schedule.
Elsewhere in the survey it’s good news for travellers departing from London’s Heathrow.
Just 24 percent of its scheduled journeys took off late.
However, for holidaymakers due to fly from one of the airports branded the worst, its not all bad news.
Particularly for those leaving from European airports.
Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis points out an EU regulation that could result in compensation for Brits left stranded at the terminal.
EU Regulation 261/2004 protects anyone flying into or out of a EU airport, however there are some rules to determine if your delay is covered.
Time plays a huge role in deciding if you have a claim.
“It doesn’t matter how late you leave, it’s all about how late you arrived,” explains Lewis. Travellers only qualify for compensation if their flight lands three or more hours behind schedule.
“So if you’re on a flight that takes off four hours late but arrives two hours 55 minutes late – you’re not over the three hours needed to get compensation,” he continued.
Flight delays: The worst airports for delayed departures were ranked (Image: Getty Images)
Flight delays: The world’s ‘worst’ airports for delays were revealed (Image: OnlineCasino.ca)
The delay must also be the fault of the airline. Bad weather, air traffic control issues or political issues are not deemed as a responsibility of the carrier.
“The amount you get is fixed solely on the flight length and delay time,” said Lewis.
“So a 1,000km flight delayed by three hours is €250 (£230ish) per person, while a 4,000km flight delayed for five hours is €600 (£540ish) per person.
“If your flight is cancelled, you’re entitled to the choice of a refund or a replacement flight – and that applies whether it’s the airline’s fault or not.
“Be aware that airlines sometimes offer vouchers, but you don’t have to accept these – you can formally say you want cash instead.”
Flight delays: These were the airports ranked the best for on time depatures (Image: OnlineCasino.ca)
However, even outside of the EU there are ways passengers can protect themselves against unwanted delays.
Paul Williams, Group Head of Sales at insurance company Europ Assistance, spoke to Express.co.uk about how travel insurance can benefit flyers who run into unexpected delays.
“Travel delay, missed connection, and trip interruption are important coverages when considering travel insurance as these are intended to help reimburse expenses like lodging accommodations, meals, and transportation that can arise when flights are delayed or cancelled; passports, money, or other travel documents are lost or stolen; natural disasters or adverse weather disrupt travel; or you become sick or injured while travelling,” he explained.
“The main thing travellers should know when considering coverage is that travel insurance is there for the unexpected and meant to address issues when they occur, not before they do.”
