Nearly one in three UK passengers faced flight disruptions this summer, AirHelp reports
42 million UK passengers travelled between June and August this year
Of which 485,000 people were eligible for compensation due to a disrupted flight
London Heathrow continues to rank as the busiest airport in the UK
London — 17 September 2025 — AirHelp, the leading travel tech company supporting passengers with flight disruptions, today unveils the biggest disruptions that took place in the United Kingdom during the 2025 summer period.
AirHelp recorded that over 42 million passengers departed from the UK between June and August, with over 184,900 flights scheduled during this period. Of these passengers, 31% were disrupted (13 million) and 485,000 people were eligible for compensation from their airline.
The data also revealed that there was a significant spike in flight disruptions on 20th and 21st July, with more than half of UK passengers experiencing delays or cancellations. The days with the lowest levels of disruption, however, were 9th June with only 17% of passengers affected, closely followed by the 24th of August at 18% and the 11th of June at 19%, making them the most reliable dates to travel during the summer period.
Best and worst for on-time performance
A closer look at UK’s departure airports highlighted that London Heathrow was the busiest travel hub, with over 11.4 million people travelling between June and August this year. London Gatwick followed with 6 million passengers and recorded the third highest disruption rate, with 37% of its travellers affected by delays or cancellations.
Meanwhile, Birmingham International and Manchester International airports experienced the highest disruption rates, both with 38% of passengers impacted. These figures highlight the widespread operational challenges faced across major UK hubs during the peak travel season.
AirHelp’s data also uncovered the top travel destinations for UK passengers over the summer period. Among the most popular countries was Spain, with 7.3 million UK passengers travelling there between June and August. This is closely followed by 4.8 million people travelling within the UK and 3 million travellers going across the Atlantic to the United States.
Analysing routes in the UK
When examining the most disrupted routes from UK airports, Birmingham International Airport to Diagoras Airport in Greece ranked the highest with over 74% of passengers impacted between June and August. Routes to Chania International Airport also saw significant disruption, impacting 72% of passengers from London Gatwick and 71% from Manchester International Airport.
On the other hand, the most fortunate passengers were those who travelled from London Luton Airport to Gdansk Lech Walesa Airport in Poland, with over 94% departing on time this summer. Routes from London Heathrow to Cork Airport and Incheon International Airport in South Korea also demonstrated impressive performance, with punctuality rates of 93% and 90%, respectively.
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About AirHelp
AirHelp is a travel tech company tackling flight disruptions. Since 2013, it has won compensation for over 3 million passengers with a flight delay or cancellation. 12 million passengers have protected their flights with AirHelp+ Protection, and countless millions more benefit from the expert information freely available on www.airhelp.com/en-gb/. AirHelp has also just released its new app, which offers real-time flight tracking, disruption alerts, and options for extra protection, download it here!
AirHelp is dedicated to investing in a greener future - it has pledged to plant 1 tree for every 100 flight disruptions and so far, it has planted 146,181 trees. As air passenger rights advocates, AirHelp cares about people, and caring about people also means caring about the planet.
#1 source for flight compensation worldwide
With innovative artificial intelligence and a dedicated team of over 400 AirHelpers, AirHelp makes it easy for any traveller in the EU, UK and beyond to receive up to €600 for flight delays and cancellations. For more information about AirHelp, visit: www.airhelp.com/en-gb/.