SAS: flights 3+ hours late or cancelled at UK airports
Of 14,995 scheduled SAS flights to and from UK airports in 2025, 1.1% were cancelled or at least 3 hours late (95% range 0.97%–1.31%), measured at the UK airport. Source: UK CAA.
1.1%3+ hours late or cancelled
14,995scheduled flights 2025
By UK airport
| UK airport | Scheduled flights | 3h+ late or cancelled | 95% range | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow | 9,887 | 0.9% | 0.70%–1.06% | 76 |
| Manchester | 2,868 | 1.2% | 0.9%–1.7% | 32 |
| Aberdeen | 1,157 | 2.3% | 1.6%–3.4% | 26 |
| Edinburgh | 561 | 0.4% | 0.1%–1.3% | 1 |
| Birmingham | 521 | 3.8% | 2.5%–5.8% | 18 |
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.
By operating company
| Operator (as listed by the CAA) | Scheduled flights | 3h+ late or cancelled | 95% range | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAS | 13,029 | 1.3% | 1.10%–1.49% | 153 |
| SAS Ireland | 1,966 | 0.1% | 0.03%–0.37% | 0 |
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.