Gatwick crowned UK’s worst airport, as 3.2 per cent of flights axed
Gatwick was crowned the UK’s worst airport for cancellations.
Flights from the south London hub are 10 times more likely to be axed compared with Stansted, according to data shared with Sky News by intelligence company OAG.
Figures revealed that Gatwick’s cancellations were 3.2 per cent of total flights in 2022, compared with Heathrow – 2.3 per cent – Luton – 1.9 per cent and Stansted – 0.3 per cent.
Commenting on the figures, a Gatwick spokesperson said the hub regretted “any cancellations and disruption to passengers,” adding it would gradually increase capacity from 825 daily flights to 850 in August.
“By carefully controlling and gradually increasing the maximum number of flights over time – until the end of August – the airport aims to help both its airlines and their ground handling companies improve the service they provide by reducing the number of flights they need to manage,” they said.
“In particular, this will benefit ground handling companies, who are employed by the airlines and are responsible for managing check in areas, turning aircraft round on the airfield ready for departure, and loading and delivering baggage back to passengers.”
In terms of airlines, BA was considered the worst, while Ryanair came in first as it had only 0.3 per cent of its services cancelled since the beginning of the year.
The data came a day after Heathrow asked airlines to stop selling tickets for the summer period as it was capping the daily passenger numbers to 100,000, City PM reported.
The cap, which is set to remain in place until 11 September, was slammed by IATA director general Willie Walsh as “ridiculous.”
“Heathrow is trying to maximise the profitability that they get from the airport at the expense of airlines,” Walsh, a former boss of BA’s owner IAG – told Reuters yesterday.
The comments reignited a long-standing feud between the west-London hub and airlines over airport fees.
Heathrow’s chief executive John-Holland Kaye dismissed Walsh’s insinuations as “ill-informed comments from retired airline bosses.”