Tui Airways Flight Delays
Tui Airways Ranks Among Worst UK Airlines for Flight Delays in 2025
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Tui Airways ranked among the worst airlines in the UK for punctuality in 2025, with departures running an average of 20 minutes and 24 seconds late, according to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority data by Press Association. The worst single route — Birmingham to the Greek island of Zante — averaged a 46-minute delay per flight.
The findings drew sharp criticism from consumer groups. Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, called the service "unacceptable" given that airfares have continued to rise, and urged passengers to chase compensation claims they are legally entitled to.
Air India Tops Delay Rankings, Tui Lands Fifth
Air India was the least punctual airline for the second year running, averaging 36 minutes and 36 seconds of delay per flight, according to The Independent. Tui Airways came in fifth worst overall. At the other end of the table, SAS averaged just 8 minutes of delay — the best performance among the airlines studied.
The industry-wide average delay in 2025 was 14 minutes and 48 seconds. That is an improvement from 18 minutes and 18 seconds in 2024, suggesting the sector is slowly recovering. Still, only 57% of Tui flights departed on time, according to AirAdvisor.
Tui Defends Strategy: Delay Flights Rather Than Cancel Them
Tui pushed back on the criticism. Aage Dunhaupt, the airline's director of communications, said the company makes a "conscious choice" to delay flights instead of cancelling them. He argued that keeping a plane on the ground for 46 minutes is better than leaving holidaymakers stranded at home with no flight at all. The airline reported a 99.9% flight completion rate from UK airports in 2025, according to Press Association.
Consumer group Which? Travel rejected that framing. Its editor Boland argued that airlines are selling more tickets than their operations can handle, then blaming external factors — like air traffic control — to avoid paying compensation. Under UK261 rules, passengers can claim up to £520 for delays over three hours caused by issues within the airline's control.
Manchester Most Delayed Airport as Passengers Lose Patience
Manchester Airport was named the most delayed UK airport in 2025, according to AirAdvisor. Research by CMAC Group found that 75% of UK passengers experienced a delay or cancellation last year. Fewer than half said they received support quickly enough when things went wrong.
Tim Johnson, director at the Civil Aviation Authority, said long delays "can cause significant disruption and inconvenience for passengers." An estimated 3.4 million UK passengers are eligible for compensation each year — but only about one in three ever files a claim, according to SkyRefund.
Tui Group Profits Rise Even as Airline Unit Struggles
Despite the punctuality problems, Tui Group reported strong overall results for FY2025 — revenue of €24.2 billion and an underlying profit of €1.41 billion, according to Tui Group. But the airline division told a different story. Its underlying profit fell by 34.2%, suggesting that operational delays are a real financial drag on the business.
There are some signs of wider improvement ahead. NATS, the UK's air traffic control provider, reported that 98% of UK flights operated on time in April 2026 — the busiest month of the year so far. Whether that improvement filters through to leisure carriers like Tui remains to be seen.
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