A new study has revealed which UK airports are most likely to run on time during the busy Easter travel period – and which passengers may want to avoid.
By analysing Civil Aviation Authority data from March 2024 and April 2025 during two different Easter periods, researchers found clear differences in how airports cope with the seasonal surge in passengers.
Smaller regional hubs performed best overall, with Liverpool John Lennon Airport taking the lead with an average on-time performance of 86.85 per cent.
East Midlands Airport placed second at 85.20 per cent, followed by Glasgow Airport at 84.60 per cent.
Belfast International and George Best Belfast City also showed strong reliability, with 84.35 per cent and 84 per cent of flights departing on time.
In contrast, larger and more congested hubs were more prone to disruption.
Cardiff Airport recorded the lowest on-time performance at 76.05 per cent, while Gatwick Airport followed with a rate of 77.20 per cent.
Bournemouth and Southampton recorded similar figures of 77.50 per cent and 77.55 per cent, while Manchester Airport reached 78.25 per cent.
The study suggests that airport size, congestion and operational factors all play a role in how smoothly flights run during peak spring travel.
However, airline performance was found to be less consistent year to year, with Icelandair having the highest on-time rate at 93.85 per cent, followed by Qatar Airways at 88.60 per cent and Luxair at 86.95 per cent.
Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle both recorded results above 86 per cent, placing them among the most reliable carriers.
On the flip side, TAP Air Portugal had an on-time performance of just 54.60 per cent, followed by Air India at 62.70 per cent and Egypt at 64.10 per cent. Blue Islands reached 68.15 per cent, while Air Canada recorded 77 per cent.
Vykintas Maknickasm, CEO of eSim provider Saily, which conducted the study, said: ‘What makes Easter travel tricky is not just the volume, but the unpredictability.
‘Unlike other peak periods, airline performance shifts noticeably from year to year, which means travelers can’t rely on last year’s experience alone. Building in extra time and choosing reliable hubs becomes much more important.’
He advised travellers to plan ahead, prioritise travel from reliable hubs, allow extra time at airports, and consider flying from more reliable regional hubs where possible.
The chief executive also urged holidaymakers to keep travel plans flexible, as weather in spring can be unpredictable and can disrupt schedules unexpectedly.
It comes after industry bodies warned holidaymaking Brits could find themselves facing queues of up to four hours at European airports as a new entry system comes into effect over the Easter break.
The entry/exit system (EES) has been slowly rolled out across Europe since October 2025, with 29 countries now bringing in a new biometric border control process.
Under the new rules, any non-EU nationals, including UK citizens, who enter the Schengen Area are required to register biometric details, including fingerprints and photographs.
The EES will also automatically flag arrivals at risk of overstaying. It is due to be fully implemented at airports across Europe by April 10, with all third-country nationals required to register from today onwards.
But there are fears the new system could cause mass disruption to travellers.
Olivier Jankovec, the director-general of ACI, and Ourania Georgoutsakou, the managing director of Airlines for Europe, said: ‘Passengers entering the Schengen area are likely to wait even longer at border control during Easter due to the persisting operational challenges around the EES rollout.’
ACI and Airlines for Europe leaders said: ‘We reiterate our call on the European Commission and Member States to extend the possibility to fully or partially suspend EES – where operationally necessary – during the entirety of the 2026 summer season.’
Airports Council International (ACI) said: ‘With the next critical milestones approaching – namely the requirement to register 100 per cent of third-country nationals as of 31 March, followed by the end of the transition period on 9 April – airports and airlines warn that the situation risks deteriorating further.’
Airports Council International Europe recently revealed the EES system had increased waiting times at the border by up to 70 per cent, leading to three hour queues during peak travel periods.
Aviation bodies wrote to Magnus Brunner, the EU commissioner for internal affairs and migration, demanding the EU take immediate action to prevent ‘excessive’ delays as a result of the rollout.
