UK airlines amongst least punctual
British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Thomson were among the world’s least punctual airlines last month, with almost 30% of their flights delayed.
BA sister carrier Iberia was the most punctual overall with 91% of its flights arriving on time or within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival.
It should be pointed out, however, that Iberia had only half as many flights as BA during December, according to Flightstats.
Air Europa, which operated half as many flights as Iberia, was the second most punctual airline, followed by Saudi.
According to Flightstats report, Virgin came in at number 33, BA 38 and Thomson 39. It claimed 29% of BA flights were delayed, with the average hold up topping 44 minutes. Virgin had 26% of flights delayed, by an average of 42 minutes, and 29% of Thomson flights were delayed by an average of 53 minutes.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
Suspension of all regional trains in Catalonia following two new rail accidents in Spain