American Airlines: flights 3+ hours late or cancelled at UK airports

Of 16,116 scheduled American Airlines flights to and from UK airports in 2025, 4.6% were cancelled or at least 3 hours late (95% range 4.3%–5.0%), measured at the UK airport. Source: UK CAA.

How it works ↓

Data: CAA punctuality statistics, calendar year 2025 (published 25 February 2026) · calculated 3 November 2026 · Methodology and sources

4.6%3+ hours late or cancelled

16,116scheduled flights 2025

By UK airport

UK airport	Scheduled flights	3h+ late or cancelled	95% range	Cancelled
London Heathrow	15,838	4.6%	4.3%–5.0%	442
Edinburgh	278	3.4%	1.8%–6.2%	6

UK airports with at least 200 scheduled flights of this airline in 2025; linked airports (500+ flights) have a page with this airline's destinations and a comparison with the other airlines there.

American Airlines flies from Heathrow for almost all of its UK operation: in 2025 the airport handled 15,838 of its flights, 98% of its British network. They were disrupted almost three times as often as the national average (1.6%), and there were more cancellations (442) than flights 3+ hours late (294).

American, United and Delta versus BA and Virgin

At the same Heathrow, the American carriers ran into disruption 2–3 times as often as the British ones. American Airlines came in at 4.6%, United Airlines at 3.4%, Delta at 3.0%; British Airways at 1.6%, Virgin Atlantic at 1.8%. The site counts the Heathrow – Charlotte route across all airlines: 2,189 flights and 5.7%.

Where UK261 applies and where it doesn't

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) lists American Airlines as a US airline. On departure from the UK, the UK261 rules cover any airline: the distance to the US is over 3,500 km, so that means £260 for a delay of 3–4 hours and £520 for longer. On a flight from the US to the UK, they only apply if the carrier is British or from the EU.

Caveats

This is an upper estimate of flights where compensation may be due. Weather, air traffic control, strikes by third parties and security problems are “extraordinary circumstances” and give no right to compensation; cancellations announced 14 days or more ahead do not either.
The CAA measures delay at the UK airport (departure or arrival). The legal test is the delay on arrival at the final destination.
Flights in both directions are combined. For flights from an EU airport, EU261 applies when the airline is an EU airline (€250 / €400 / €600), UK261 when it is a UK airline.
Shares differ between airlines partly because of where and when they fly: routes to islands and airports with frequent weather or air traffic control restrictions raise the share without the airline being at fault.