Ryanair: flights 3+ hours late or cancelled at UK airports

Of 337,575 scheduled Ryanair flights to and from UK airports in 2025, 0.8% were cancelled or at least 3 hours late (95% range 0.77%–0.83%), 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

0.8%3+ hours late or cancelled

337,575scheduled flights 2025

By UK airport

UK airport	Scheduled flights	3h+ late or cancelled	95% range	Cancelled
London Stansted	141,965	0.7%	0.68%–0.77%	385
Manchester	49,642	1.2%	1.13%–1.32%	169
Edinburgh	29,229	0.8%	0.73%–0.93%	117
Birmingham	20,319	0.6%	0.48%–0.69%	21
London Luton	14,331	0.6%	0.45%–0.70%	11
Bristol	14,202	0.7%	0.60%–0.88%	25
Liverpool	13,492	0.8%	0.64%–0.93%	23
East Midlands	10,412	0.5%	0.38%–0.65%	8
Leeds Bradford	9,464	1.3%	1.1%–1.5%	62
London Gatwick	7,985	0.4%	0.28%–0.56%	11
Belfast International	7,971	0.8%	0.58%–0.97%	19
Newcastle	6,163	0.9%	0.7%–1.2%	15
Bournemouth	5,317	0.6%	0.4%–0.8%	6
Glasgow	3,605	1.0%	0.7%–1.3%	19
Cardiff	1,293	0.2%	0.1%–0.7%	0
Exeter	735	1.0%	0.5%–2.0%	0
Teesside	728	0.0%	0.0%–0.5%	0
Aberdeen	722	1.4%	0.7%–2.5%	7

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.

According to UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) punctuality statistics, Ryanair rarely disrupted flights at UK airports in 2025 when you measure the outcome passengers dread most: being 3+ hours late or cancelled. That happened to 0.8% of its 337,575 scheduled flights, half as often as the average across the country's 25 airports (1.6%). For passengers, that is a little under one disrupted flight in a hundred. The figure is statistically tight: with that many flights, random variation stays within 0.77–0.83%. The site shows how often this happened over the year; only the airline and the airport know the current status of any individual flight.

Where Ryanair slips up more often: airports and two operators

More than two fifths of the airline's UK flights are from its main base, London Stansted: 141,965 flights, of which 0.7% were 3+ hours late or cancelled, with 385 cancellations. The northern airports look worse. Manchester has a share of 1.2% across 49,642 flights and 169 cancellations, Leeds Bradford 1.3% across 9,464 flights and 62 cancellations. That is still below the national average, but noticeably above Ryanair's overall figure. The other bases have their own pages too: Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Belfast International, Cardiff, Bournemouth.

The CAA counts flights by operator, meaning companies with their own air operator's certificate, and there are two under the brand (Ryanair DAC and Ryanair UK). The Ryanair operator flew 300,629 flights, a share of 0.8% and 777 cancellations; Ryanair UK 36,944 flights, a share of 1.1% and 121 cancellations. UK261 applies to a flight from a UK airport. For a flight from an EU airport, the law depends on the operator: if it is an EU carrier, EU261 (€250 / €400 / €600); if a UK carrier, UK261. The operator of your flight is named in the booking, and the footnote on the page tells you which law applies.

What to do if your Ryanair flight is cancelled or 3+ hours late

The 0.8% share is an upper estimate of cases where compensation could apply at all. The CAA records lateness at a UK airport, while the law looks at arrival at your destination. Bad weather, air traffic control decisions, third-party strikes and security threats count as extraordinary circumstances and carry no compensation; nor does a cancellation you were warned about 14 days or more in advance. Here is the procedure under the CAA's rules on delays:

Check whether your case qualifies: arrival at your destination more than 3 hours late or a late cancellation (the CAA's rules on cancellations), and the cause is not on the extraordinary circumstances list.
The amount under UK261 depends on distance: £220 for a flight up to 1,500 km, £350 for 1,500–3,500 km; for longer flights £260 if you arrive 3–4 hours late and £520 if more than 4 hours.
Submit a claim to the airline itself with your booking reference and a description of what happened.
If there is no reply after 8 weeks, or you receive a refusal, take the case to alternative dispute resolution (ADR); if the airline is not part of such a scheme, go to the CAA.

By operating company

Operator (as listed by the CAA)	Scheduled flights	3h+ late or cancelled	95% range	Cancelled
Ryanair	300,629	0.8%	0.73%–0.79%	777
Ryanair UK	36,944	1.1%	1.00%–1.21%	121

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.