Tui ranked among worst UK airlines for flight delays

Tui has been ranked among the worst airlines for flight delays from UK airports, according to recent analyses of Civil Aviation Authority data that highlight continuing punctuality problems across the country’s busiest carriers.

CAA data and media analyses highlight persistent delays

Recent reviews of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) departure data compiled by media outlets and consumer groups indicate that Tui ranks among the worst airlines for average flight delays from UK airports. While low-cost rival Wizz Air has frequently topped the table for the longest average delays in recent years, Tui has consistently appeared close behind in the league of poor performers.

An analysis of 2023 departure times found Tui flights leaving UK airports were delayed by an average of just over 28 minutes, placing the carrier among the three slowest major airlines in terms of punctuality. More recent figures looking at average delay minutes in 2024 show Tui again near the top of the list, with only a small number of long-haul and transatlantic carriers performing worse on this measure.

Separate work by consumer organisation Which?, looking at punctuality over a 12‑month period from mid‑2024 into 2025 across six of the largest UK airlines, concluded that Tui was the worst of that group for on‑time performance. That assessment focused on the proportion of flights departing within 15 minutes of schedule, rather than average delay minutes, but it similarly placed Tui at the bottom of the pack against well-known rivals including British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair and Wizz Air.

Collectively, these findings underline that Tui’s operational performance has not kept pace with the broader recovery in punctuality that industry data suggests is slowly emerging after the severe disruption of the pandemic years.

How Tui compares with rival airlines

Across multiple data sets, Tui’s performance stands out less for catastrophic disruption than for consistently poor punctuality relative to its key competitors in the leisure market. While some carriers have attracted headlines for extreme average delays or widespread cancellations, Tui’s record is more defined by a pattern of being late more often and by a larger margin than most other big UK airlines.

In 2023 departure data focusing on UK flights, only a handful of airlines recorded worse average delays than Tui, including Wizz Air and Turkish Airlines. More recent analyses for 2024 place Air India at the top of the delay rankings for services from UK airports, but still show Tui among the worst performers with average delays in the mid‑20‑minute range, notably above the national average delay of around 18 minutes.

Within the group of six major UK-based or UK-focused airlines examined by Which?, Tui was identified as having the poorest punctuality record, whereas Jet2 and Ryanair were found to be significantly more reliable for on‑time departures. These comparisons are particularly relevant for holidaymakers choosing between package operators and low-cost carriers on popular routes to Mediterranean and Canary Island destinations.

At the same time, Tui’s cancellation rate has not been highlighted as among the very worst in the sector, suggesting that the airline is generally operating the flights it schedules but is facing challenges in keeping them running to time. That nuance may offer limited comfort to passengers still confronted with late departures and missed connections, but it does shape how Tui’s performance is viewed alongside rivals that have cut more flights outright during difficult periods.

Industry-wide pressures on UK flight punctuality

The difficulties experienced by Tui are unfolding against a backdrop of wider pressures affecting punctuality across UK and European air travel. Industry reports point to a combination of factors, including air traffic control constraints, staffing shortages, congested airspace and knock-on effects from extreme weather events, as major contributors to delays.

Air traffic control capacity, in particular, has been singled out as a persistent source of disruption, with bottlenecks across parts of Europe leading to extended holding patterns and slot restrictions that ripple through airline schedules. Airlines note that when such constraints arise, they can be counted as outside the carrier’s direct control for regulatory and compensation purposes, complicating the picture for measuring performance.

Nevertheless, consumer advocates argue that some airlines cope better than others with these systemic challenges through tighter scheduling discipline, improved contingency planning and more resilient staffing levels. Within this context, Tui’s relative underperformance suggests that its operation is more vulnerable to shocks than those of some competitors, especially during peak summer travel when aircraft and crew are heavily utilised.

Published commentary also indicates that, despite some improvements since the worst of the post‑pandemic disruption, overall punctuality for several major UK airlines remains worse than in 2019. Tui’s position near the bottom of the rankings serves as a reminder that the recovery in reliability remains uneven across the sector.

What delays mean for passengers and compensation rights

For passengers, Tui’s position among the worst airlines for delays translates into tangible risks of disruption, particularly during school holidays and other peak periods. Longer average delays raise the chance of missed connections, shortened holiday time and logistical problems such as late hotel check‑ins or missed ground transfers at destination airports.

Under UK and retained EU air passenger rights rules, travellers are entitled to assistance and, in many cases, financial compensation when flights arrive significantly late, as long as the disruption is not caused by extraordinary circumstances outside the airline’s control. Depending on the length of the delay and the distance of the flight, compensation amounts can reach into the hundreds of pounds per person.

However, the boundary between airline‑controlled disruption and external causes is often contested in practice. Airlines may attribute lateness to air traffic control restrictions or adverse weather, while consumer advocates encourage passengers to document their journeys and challenge refusals where they believe the root causes lie in scheduling decisions, resourcing or aircraft maintenance practices.

The prominence of Tui in recent delay rankings is likely to focus more attention from travellers on their rights, as well as on the practical steps they can take to reduce the impact of disruption, such as allowing extra time for connections, monitoring flight status closely on the day of travel and keeping receipts for unexpected expenses.

Implications for Tui’s brand and future performance

Tui occupies a major position in the UK leisure market, carrying millions of passengers each year as both a package holiday provider and an airline in its own right. Persistent headlines about poor punctuality risk eroding the brand’s long‑standing appeal to families and older travellers who prioritise reliability when booking once‑a‑year breaks.

Publicly available statements from the company in response to earlier scrutiny have emphasised its high completion rates, with a very small share of flights cancelled compared with the wider industry. That stance suggests Tui is likely to point to its record of operating almost all scheduled services while acknowledging the need to bring average delay times closer to, or better than, the UK norm.

In competitive terms, rivals that can consistently offer more punctual services may use these rankings to differentiate themselves, especially in the battle for repeat customers and higher‑value package bookings. As more data accumulates from the 2024 and 2025 summer seasons, analysts will be watching to see whether Tui can climb out of the cluster of worst performers or whether delays remain a structural weakness for the carrier.

For now, the latest rankings position Tui among the airlines that UK travellers may scrutinise most carefully when planning trips, particularly at busy times of year when even a relatively modest average delay can translate into significant disruption on the ground.