Air India Records Longest UK Flight Delays in 2024

Air India has been identified as the worst airline for flight delays departing from UK airports in 2024, with an average delay of nearly 46 minutes per flight, according to Civil Aviation Authority data. The airline's Gatwick to Bangalore route was the most delayed, averaging over 80 minutes late across 50 departures. Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, criticized the airline's performance as "completely unacceptable." Air India attributed the delays to factors beyond its control, including infrastructure and air traffic constraints, while highlighting efforts such as self-check-in, automated boarding, and the introduction of new aircraft to improve punctuality. Despite these initiatives and a significant increase in UK flight operations since 2019, aviation experts note that the airline is still recovering from operational challenges like parts shortages and grounded aircraft. Other UK airlines showed better punctuality records, with the overall average delay being just over 18 minutes.