UK’s Best and Worst Airports Revealed

Going on holiday is exciting, but travel journeys don’t always go as planned. Delays, cancellations, and extra fees can make airports less appealing for some passengers. The Telegraph recently ranked the UK’s largest airports based on on-time performance, average delays, and cancellations, with Manchester Airport included in the evaluation.

Manchester Airport’s Performance

In 2024, Manchester Airport served 30,789,056 passengers, standing out as one of the most popular airports in northern England. Scoring 764 out of 1,000, Manchester trailed behind the UK’s best-performing airport, Liverpool John Lennon (888 points). The lowest score was given to Cardiff Airport (591 points).

• Punctuality: Only 64% of flights departed and arrived on time.

• Delays: Passengers waited an average of 20 minutes per flight.

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• Cancellations: 1.1% of flights were cancelled.

The Most Connected Airport

Despite delays, Manchester ranked highly in international connectivity. Fourth after London’s major airports, it serves 188 destinations across 56 countries, making it the most connected airport in the north. Later this year, it will become the first UK airport outside London to offer direct flights to Bangkok, Thailand.

Transport and Facilities

Located 23 km from Manchester city centre, the airport is reachable by car in around 29 minutes and by train in 18 minutes. This ease of access surpasses that of many London airports.

As part of the ongoing redevelopment of Terminal 2, brands such as LEGO, Rituals, Pandora, Starbucks, and Joe & The Juice have opened. Later this year, additional shops and restaurants, including Chanel, Grindsmith by WHSmith, a Fever Tree cocktail and champagne bar, and Great Northern Market, will launch. Over 70% of passengers will use the new facilities, and Terminal 1 will close upon project completion.

UK’s Best and Worst Airports (The Telegraph Rankings)

1. Liverpool John Lennon

2. George Best Belfast City

3. London City

4. London Heathrow

5. Newcastle International

6. London Gatwick

7. Birmingham

8. Inverness

9. Aberdeen International

10. Jersey

11. Edinburgh

12. Southampton

13. Manchester

14. Glasgow

15. Cornwall Newquay

16. East Midlands

17. Isle of Man

18. London Luton

19. Belfast International

20. Norwich

21. Guernsey

22. Bournemouth

23. Leeds Bradford

24. Exeter

25. London Southend

26. Sumburgh

27. Bristol

28. Glasgow Prestwick

29. London Stansted

30. Cardiff