Wizz Air departures from the UK were on average 46 minutes and six seconds late in 2022, according to new figures. This made Wizz Air the number one delayed flight from the UK for the second year in a row. The report was made by the PA news agency based on data provided by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the BBC reports.
The average delay was more than three times higher than the previous year, when the airline also ranked last for punctuality. Wizz Air operates short-haul flights from UK airports including Birmingham, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Gatwick, Luton, Liverpool and Bristol.
The analysis considered all scheduled departures from UK airports by airlines with more than 2.500 flights. We're not talking about canceled Wizz Air flights!
The average delay for all these flights was 23 minutes.
After Wizz Air, Tui ranked second with an average delay of 40 minutes and 18 seconds, and Qatar Airways third with 31 minutes and 48 seconds. British Airways had an average delay of 23 minutes, while Norwegian Air achieved the best performance with an average delay of just 13 minutes and 42 seconds.
May and June 2022 were the worst months for punctuality as the aviation sector failed to recruit and train enough staff to cope with the surge in holiday demand following the end of UK travel restrictions.
"We have already raised concerns about Wizz Air and are working closely with the airline to improve outcomes for consumers.” said Paul Smith, director of CAA.
We can say that 2022 was a tough year, but it is not representative because of the late lifting of Covid restrictions, which led to an accelerated increase in the number of flights and passengers. Since then, the sector has invested important resources in order to optimize the activity so that in 2023 there will be no more punctuality or operational problems.
Compensation for passengers on UK flights
It should be noted that UK passengers also have rights. According to the CAA, financial compensations for delayed flights they can reach 520 pounds. Obviously, in order to benefit from such compensations, several conditions must be met.
The flight delay should be due to the airline, not due to external causes such as severe weather etc. Compensations are given for delays of more than two hours for short flights under 1500 km; for delays of more than three hours for flights between 1500 and 3000 km and for delays of more than four hours for flights of more than 3500 kilometers.
Under UK law, airlines must provide assistance if the flight is significantly delayed. In addition to the respective financial compensations, passengers are also entitled to food and water (value vouchers are usually offered); to communication. And if the flight is scheduled for the next day, passengers are also entitled to accommodation and transport from/to the airport.
Hello! About Wizz. Do you know if the Bucharest - Las Palmas route has been permanently removed from their schedule? It was introduced about two years ago, between November and March. Now it no longer appears on their website. Thank you in advance. John
And you vb for nothing :). A start-up does not jump into expansion until it has a base. Or the company announced dozens of routes for one plane. He knew what he was getting into. So there is no need for an apology to see the fact that he sold tickets without coverage. Plus he had leverage to ensure his flight schedule, but he preferred the scandal to cover flight cancellations and mergers. Let me remind you that it is a company like Czech Airlines that is operational with only one route? What was stopping Dan Air from starting a prudent flight schedule, scaled to the airport's schedule that it had known since April?