Wizz Air has been ranked the worst airline for flight delays in the UK for the third year in a row as passengers disembark with a fare increase.
The low-cost carrier’s departures from UK airports were delayed by an average of 31 minutes and 36 seconds in 2023, according to Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data analysis by the PA news agency.
Turkish Airlines recorded the second worst punctuality last year, with an average delay of 28 minutes and 36 seconds.
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Wizz Air said it had made “significant improvements” but acknowledged that “there is still work to be done.”
The analysis covered all scheduled and charter departures from UK airports by airlines operating more than 2,500 flights. Canceled flights were not included.
The next worst airlines in terms of delays were:
• Tui – 28 minutes and 24 seconds
• Air India – 28 minutes and 12 seconds
• Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines – 25 minutes and six seconds
• Air Portugal – 23 minutes and 48 seconds
• Vueling – 23 minutes and six seconds
• Swiss – 22 minutes and 48 seconds
• Air Canada – 22 minutes and six seconds
• BA – 21 minutes and 36 seconds
Which consumer group? said airline passengers are in the “outrageous position” of paying record airfares for “unreliable service.”
Irish carrier Emerald Airlines recorded the best performance last year with an average delay of just 13 minutes and six seconds, with Virgin Atlantic in second place at 13 minutes and 42 seconds.
The average delay for all flights was 20 minutes and 42 seconds, down from 23 minutes in 2022.
Wizz Air’s UK operations serve Aberdeen, Birmingham, Gatwick, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool and Luton airports.
Despite poor punctuality in the UK, the airline – which operates in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and other parts of Asia – saw passenger numbers reach a record 62 million in the year to the end of March – an increase of more than a fifth compared to the total of 51.1 million in the previous 12 months.
Over the same period, Wizz Air recorded a pre-tax profit of €341.1 million (£290.4 million), as its revenue from ticket sales per available seat increased by 11.2% compared to to the previous year, which was similar to the fare increases throughout the year. airline sector.
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Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “These latest delay figures will come as no surprise to travelers, who find themselves in the scandalous position of paying record amounts for airfares and in return receiving unreliable services.”
He added: “It’s time for airlines to get their act together and start delivering the service their customers are paying for – including ensuring they are investing appropriately in their customer service teams.
“When delays and cancellations occur, there can be no justification for airlines not complying with their legal obligations – including promptly refunding or re-routing customers, and ensuring they are provided with meals and accommodation as required.”
‘Extraordinary operational challenges’
Wizz Air was ranked the worst airline for passenger satisfaction in an annual report by Which? published in February, with respondents giving it an average of one star out of a possible five for customer service and seating comfort.
A Wizz Air spokeswoman said: “In 2022, like all airlines in Europe, Wizz Air faced extraordinary operational challenges driven primarily by the external environment.
“Since then, we have invested more than £90 million to stabilize operations, reduce the number of delays and provide a better customer experience.
“While we saw significant improvements in 2023, there was still work to be done.
“Helping our customers reach their destination is our number one priority and we will continue to invest in our service to ensure they arrive on time.”
He added that the airline’s current performance is “among the strongest in the entire industry”, with a punctuality record that is “the highest among our direct competitors” and “the best flight completion rate across Europe ”.
Enforcement action
In January, the CAA said its enforcement action against Wizz Air led to the airline paying a total of £1.2 million to UK-based passengers whose financial claims were reassessed after they were initially rejected.
This included payments of money owed for expenses such as replacement flights, food and hotel rooms during outages.
Dale Keller, chief executive of the UK Board of Airline Representatives, a body representing airlines operating in the UK, described 2023 as “an extremely challenging year, particularly over the summer”.
He said many delays were caused by factors outside the carriers’ control, such as disruptions in air traffic control, including strikes in France and the collapse of National Air Traffic Services on August 28, which suspended flights at UK airports.
He added that punctuality has “continued to improve exponentially” this year.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
