British Airways at London Heathrow: how often flights are 3+ hours late or cancelled
Of 243,799 scheduled British Airways flights to and from London Heathrow in 2025, 1.6% (95% range 1.55%–1.65%) were cancelled (3,078) or at least 3 hours late (about 825). Other airlines at London Heathrow: 2.0%; the 95% ranges do not overlap, so the difference is unlikely to be chance. British Airways at all UK airports: 1.6%. Compensation under UK261 is due only when the airline is at fault, so this is an upper estimate. Source: UK CAA.
1.6%3+ hours late or cancelled
243,799scheduled flights 2025
78%on time or within 15 minutes
Compared with other airlines at London Heathrow
| Flights in 2025 | Scheduled | 3h+ late or cancelled | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Airways at London Heathrow | 243,799 | 1.6% | 1.55%–1.65% |
| All other airlines at London Heathrow | 238,041 | 2.0% | 1.95%–2.06% |
| British Airways at all UK airports | 354,406 | 1.6% | 1.56%–1.64% |
The 95% ranges of British Airways and the other airlines at London Heathrow do not overlap, so the difference is unlikely to be chance. Shares depend on where an airline flies: routes to islands and to airports with frequent weather or air traffic control restrictions raise them without the airline being at fault.
Largest airlines at London Heathrow
| Airline | Scheduled flights | 3h+ late or cancelled | 95% range | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Atlantic | 23,140 | 1.7% | 1.58%–1.92% | 327 |
| American Airlines | 15,838 | 4.6% | 4.3%–5.0% | 442 |
| Lufthansa | 14,716 | 1.6% | 1.4%–1.9% | 231 |
| United Airlines | 13,801 | 3.4% | 3.1%–3.7% | 253 |
| Aer Lingus | 13,560 | 1.1% | 0.92%–1.27% | 127 |
| SAS | 9,887 | 0.9% | 0.70%–1.06% | 76 |
| Swiss | 8,701 | 1.3% | 1.1%–1.6% | 111 |
| Eurowings | 8,491 | 1.0% | 0.8%–1.3% | 78 |
British Airways flights at London Heathrow in 2025
| Scheduled flights (both directions) | 243,799 |
|---|---|
| Cancelled | 3,078 |
| Operated but 3 hours or more late | about 825 |
| On time or within 15 minutes | 78% of operated flights |
| Average delay of operated flights | 12 minutes |
Departures and arrivals
| Direction | Scheduled flights | 3h+ late or cancelled | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Departures from London Heathrow | 121,897 | 1.3% | 1.26%–1.39% |
| Arrivals at London Heathrow | 121,902 | 1.9% | 1.80%–1.95% |
By destination
| Destination | 3h+ late or cancelled | 95% range | Flights | UK261 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh | 1.6% | 1.4%–1.9% | 7,837 | £220 |
| Glasgow | 1.6% | 1.4%–2.0% | 7,184 | £220 |
| Amsterdam | 1.6% | 1.3%–1.9% | 5,900 | £220 |
| New York JFK | 1.7% | 1.4%–2.0% | 5,717 | £520 |
| Barcelona | 1.6% | 1.3%–2.0% | 5,544 | £220 |
| Rome (Fiumicino) | 1.1% | 0.8%–1.4% | 5,507 | £220 |
| Geneva | 1.4% | 1.1%–1.7% | 5,319 | £220 |
| Manchester | 1.3% | 1.0%–1.6% | 5,148 | £220 |
| Paris (Charles de Gaulle) | 1.6% | 1.3%–2.0% | 4,952 | £220 |
| Berlin Brandenburg | 1.9% | 1.6%–2.4% | 4,935 | £220 |
| Aberdeen | 2.3% | 1.9%–2.8% | 4,793 | £220 |
| Nice | 1.8% | 1.4%–2.2% | 4,755 | £220 |
| Belfast City | 1.5% | 1.2%–1.9% | 4,582 | £220 |
| Milan (Linate) | 1.6% | 1.3%–2.0% | 4,529 | £220 |
| Dublin | 1.9% | 1.5%–2.4% | 4,133 | £220 |
| Copenhagen | 1.5% | 1.2%–2.0% | 3,919 | £220 |
| Newcastle | 1.6% | 1.3%–2.1% | 3,813 | £220 |
| Madrid | 1.2% | 0.9%–1.6% | 3,710 | £220 |
| Munich | 2.6% | 2.2%–3.2% | 3,587 | £220 |
| Zurich | 1.2% | 0.9%–1.6% | 3,585 | £220 |
| Prague | 1.3% | 0.9%–1.7% | 3,486 | £220 |
| Athens | 1.2% | 0.9%–1.6% | 3,452 | £350 |
| Venice | 1.0% | 0.7%–1.3% | 3,358 | £220 |
| Lisbon | 1.4% | 1.0%–1.8% | 3,315 | £350 |
| Hamburg | 1.6% | 1.2%–2.1% | 2,702 | £220 |
| Vienna | 1.0% | 0.7%–1.5% | 2,698 | £220 |
| Frankfurt | 1.8% | 1.4%–2.4% | 2,668 | £220 |
| Budapest | 0.9% | 0.6%–1.3% | 2,649 | £220 |
| Düsseldorf | 1.7% | 1.3%–2.3% | 2,638 | £220 |
| Brussels | 4.1% | 3.4%–4.9% | 2,613 | £220 |
| Basel-Mulhouse | 1.9% | 1.5%–2.6% | 2,520 | £220 |
| Stockholm | 0.7% | 0.4%–1.1% | 2,503 | £220 |
| Larnaca | 0.6% | 0.4%–1.1% | 2,330 | £350 |
| Milan (Malpensa) | 1.7% | 1.3%–2.4% | 2,204 | £220 |
| Marseille | 1.6% | 1.2%–2.3% | 2,182 | £220 |
| Jersey | 1.0% | 0.7%–1.5% | 2,175 | £220 |
| Dubai | 2.9% | 2.3%–3.7% | 2,145 | £520 |
| Boston | 2.8% | 2.1%–3.6% | 2,096 | £520 |
| Los Angeles | 1.3% | 0.9%–1.9% | 2,095 | £520 |
| Warsaw | 0.7% | 0.4%–1.1% | 2,061 | £220 |
| Mumbai | 1.2% | 0.8%–1.8% | 2,021 | £520 |
| Oslo | 0.9% | 0.6%–1.4% | 2,017 | £220 |
| Bologna | 1.3% | 0.9%–1.9% | 1,980 | £220 |
| Istanbul | 0.6% | 0.3%–1.0% | 1,893 | £350 |
| Toulouse | 1.5% | 1.0%–2.1% | 1,888 | £220 |
| Chicago O'Hare | 2.7% | 2.1%–3.6% | 1,812 | £520 |
| Washington Dulles | 2.7% | 2.1%–3.6% | 1,798 | £520 |
| Lyon | 2.0% | 1.5%–2.8% | 1,720 | £220 |
| Málaga | 0.9% | 0.6%–1.5% | 1,595 | £350 |
| Bucharest (Otopeni) | 0.5% | 0.3%–1.1% | 1,494 | £350 |
| Hanover | 1.7% | 1.1%–2.5% | 1,492 | £220 |
| Johannesburg | 2.7% | 2.0%–3.6% | 1,450 | £520 |
| New York Newark | 2.3% | 1.7%–3.3% | 1,444 | £520 |
| Toronto | 1.5% | 1.0%–2.2% | 1,435 | £520 |
| Stuttgart | 1.7% | 1.1%–2.5% | 1,428 | £220 |
| Cairo | 0.4% | 0.2%–0.8% | 1,422 | £520 |
| San Francisco | 1.3% | 0.9%–2.1% | 1,407 | £520 |
| Gothenburg | 1.0% | 0.6%–1.7% | 1,398 | £220 |
| Naples | 0.5% | 0.2%–1.0% | 1,385 | £350 |
| Delhi | 1.9% | 1.3%–2.7% | 1,384 | £520 |
| Gibraltar | 2.2% | 1.5%–3.1% | 1,334 | £350 |
| Inverness | 1.4% | 0.9%–2.1% | 1,315 | £220 |
| Houston | 3.3% | 2.5%–4.5% | 1,275 | £520 |
| Seattle | 1.5% | 1.0%–2.3% | 1,269 | £520 |
| Luxembourg | 1.5% | 1.0%–2.4% | 1,253 | £220 |
| Tokyo Haneda | 1.9% | 1.3%–2.9% | 1,240 | £520 |
| Cape Town | 1.2% | 0.7%–2.0% | 1,238 | £520 |
| Riyadh | 3.3% | 2.4%–4.4% | 1,212 | £520 |
| Cologne Bonn | 2.5% | 1.7%–3.5% | 1,176 | £220 |
| Doha | 3.2% | 2.3%–4.4% | 1,152 | £520 |
| Palma de Mallorca | 1.4% | 0.9%–2.3% | 1,111 | £220 |
| Austin | 3.7% | 2.7%–5.0% | 1,083 | £520 |
| San Diego | 2.1% | 1.4%–3.2% | 1,072 | £520 |
| Vancouver | 0.8% | 0.4%–1.5% | 1,034 | £520 |
| Miami | 1.9% | 1.3%–3.0% | 1,032 | £520 |
| Bridgetown | 0.7% | 0.3%–1.4% | 1,031 | £520 |
| Faro | 0.4% | 0.2%–1.0% | 1,020 | £350 |
| Valencia | 0.9% | 0.5%–1.7% | 1,004 | £220 |
| Florence | 1.7% | 1.0%–2.7% | 963 | £220 |
| Pisa | 1.5% | 0.9%–2.5% | 933 | £220 |
| Las Vegas | 1.3% | 0.7%–2.2% | 873 | £520 |
| São Paulo | 2.1% | 1.3%–3.3% | 806 | £520 |
| Billund | 1.0% | 0.5%–2.0% | 790 | £220 |
| Ibiza | 1.0% | 0.5%–2.0% | 784 | £220 |
| Nairobi | 1.0% | 0.5%–2.0% | 765 | £520 |
| Nashville | 1.6% | 0.9%–2.8% | 750 | £520 |
| Singapore | 2.6% | 1.7%–4.0% | 732 | £520 |
| Lagos | 1.0% | 0.5%–2.0% | 730 | £520 |
| Abuja | 1.0% | 0.5%–2.0% | 730 | £520 |
| Philadelphia | 1.1% | 0.6%–2.1% | 730 | £520 |
| Buenos Aires | 1.2% | 0.6%–2.3% | 730 | £520 |
| Accra | 1.4% | 0.7%–2.5% | 729 | £520 |
| Sydney | 2.2% | 1.3%–3.5% | 729 | £520 |
| Hong Kong | 1.8% | 1.0%–3.0% | 728 | £520 |
| Phoenix | 1.5% | 0.8%–2.7% | 727 | £520 |
| Hyderabad | 2.2% | 1.4%–3.6% | 722 | £520 |
| Atlanta | 1.0% | 0.5%–2.0% | 721 | £520 |
| Bengaluru | 1.9% | 1.2%–3.2% | 717 | £520 |
| Keflavik | 1.0% | 0.5%–2.0% | 715 | £350 |
| Chennai | 2.4% | 1.5%–3.8% | 714 | £520 |
| Denver | 1.8% | 1.1%–3.1% | 710 | £520 |
| Montreal | 2.5% | 1.6%–4.0% | 705 | £520 |
| Baltimore | 2.2% | 1.3%–3.6% | 683 | £520 |
| Corfu | 0.6% | 0.2%–1.5% | 670 | £350 |
| Amman | 1.7% | 0.9%–2.9% | 663 | £520 |
| Shanghai Pudong | 2.7% | 1.7%–4.3% | 658 | £520 |
| Bermuda | 2.3% | 1.4%–3.8% | 639 | £520 |
| Mexico City | 2.5% | 1.5%–4.0% | 637 | £520 |
| Tirana | 0.2% | 0.0%–0.9% | 632 | £350 |
| Pittsburgh | 1.3% | 0.7%–2.6% | 590 | £520 |
| Portland | 0.9% | 0.4%–2.0% | 584 | £520 |
| Mykonos | 0.3% | 0.1%–1.2% | 582 | £350 |
| Kuala Lumpur | 1.6% | 0.9%–3.1% | 548 | £520 |
| Grand Cayman | 1.7% | 0.9%–3.3% | 517 | £520 |
| Santorini | 0.2% | 0.0%–1.1% | 512 | £350 |
| Malé | 1.2% | 0.6%–2.6% | 490 | £520 |
| Kraków | 2.5% | 1.4%–4.3% | 482 | £220 |
| Cincinnati | 2.1% | 1.1%–3.8% | 479 | £520 |
| Riga | 0.4% | 0.1%–1.5% | 478 | £350 |
| Jeddah | 3.4% | 2.1%–5.4% | 472 | £520 |
| New Orleans | 3.1% | 1.8%–5.1% | 452 | £520 |
| Zagreb | 1.8% | 0.9%–3.5% | 447 | £220 |
| Split | 0.0% | 0.0%–0.9% | 444 | £350 |
| Bahrain | 1.6% | 0.8%–3.2% | 443 | £520 |
| Marrakesh | 1.4% | 0.7%–3.1% | 420 | £350 |
| Sofia | 0.7% | 0.2%–2.1% | 420 | £350 |
| Tenerife South | 0.7% | 0.2%–2.1% | 420 | £350 |
| Thessaloniki | 0.2% | 0.0%–1.3% | 418 | £350 |
| Istanbul (Sabiha Gokcen) | 1.9% | 1.0%–3.8% | 409 | £350 |
| Ljubljana | 0.0% | 0.0%–0.9% | 408 | £220 |
| Heraklion | 0.8% | 0.3%–2.3% | 382 | £350 |
| Palermo | 0.3% | 0.0%–1.5% | 364 | £350 |
| Santiago de Chile | 0.0% | 0.0%–1.1% | 345 | £520 |
| Chania | 0.9% | 0.3%–2.5% | 342 | £350 |
| Olbia | 1.5% | 0.6%–3.4% | 336 | £220 |
| Dubrovnik | 1.5% | 0.7%–3.5% | 326 | £350 |
| Tbilisi | 0.6% | 0.2%–2.3% | 316 | £520 |
| Abu Dhabi | 1.0% | 0.3%–2.8% | 307 | £520 |
| Dallas Fort Worth | 4.4% | 2.6%–7.4% | 292 | £520 |
| Tel Aviv | 17% | 13%–22% | 265 | £520 |
| Dalaman | 0.9% | 0.2%–3.1% | 228 | £350 |
| Brindisi | 0.9% | 0.2%–3.2% | 222 | £350 |
| Preveza | 0.9% | 0.2%–3.3% | 220 | £350 |
| Kalamata | 0.0% | 0.0%–1.8% | 214 | £350 |
| Bodrum | 0.0% | 0.0%–1.8% | 204 | £350 |
| Providenciales | 3.5% | 1.7%–7.0% | 199 | £520 |
| Innsbruck | 2.4% | 0.9%–6.0% | 168 | £220 |
| Perugia | 1.2% | 0.3%–4.3% | 164 | £220 |
| Kefalonia | 1.9% | 0.6%–5.3% | 162 | £350 |
| Paphos | 1.3% | 0.3%–4.5% | 158 | £350 |
| Kuwait | 2.6% | 1.0%–6.5% | 153 | £520 |
| Figari | 1.4% | 0.4%–5.0% | 142 | £220 |
| Zakynthos | 0.8% | 0.1%–4.3% | 128 | £350 |
| Salzburg | 3.3% | 1.3%–8.1% | 122 | £220 |
| Rimini | 0.0% | 0.0%–3.2% | 118 | £220 |
| Tromsoe | 0.0% | 0.0%–3.4% | 108 | £350 |
Destinations with at least 100 scheduled British Airways flights in 2025; 24 smaller destinations are included in the totals only. Linked routes have their own page with all airlines.
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.