Air India Records Worst UK Flight Delays in 2024, Average 46 Minutes Late

Air India has been identified as the worst-performing airline for flight delays departing from UK airports in 2024, with an average delay of 45 minutes and 48 seconds, according to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority data. The route from Gatwick to Bangalore experienced the longest delays, averaging one hour and 23 minutes. Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, criticized Air India's punctuality as "completely unacceptable," while the airline attributed delays primarily to factors beyond its control. Guernsey-based Aurigny Air Services, Turkish leisure airline SunExpress, and Air Portugal followed as the next most delayed carriers, whereas Ireland's Emerald Airlines had the best punctuality with an average delay of just 10 minutes and 30 seconds. The overall average delay across airlines operating more than 2,500 flights from the UK was 18 minutes and 18 seconds, an improvement from 2023. Air India's UK operations, including flights from Birmingham, Gatwick, and Heathrow to Indian cities, have expanded under Tata Group ownership since 2022, despite ongoing operational challenges.