REGIONAL: How long are take-off delays at Southampton Airport?

PASSENGERS face an average delay time of 15 minutes when travelling from UK airports.
Figures have shown which UK airports have the longest departure delays.Figures have shown which UK airports have the longest departure delays.
Figures have shown which UK airports have the longest departure delays.

London Luton had the longest average delay of 19.7 minutes last years, according to Press Association analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data.

Nearby Southampton Airport was near the bottom of the rankings with delays of 13.5 minutes.

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London Gatwick recorded the second worst punctuality performance followed by Jersey and Durham Tees Valley.

The ranking takes into account every scheduled and charter flight from 25 of the UK’s major airports. Cancelled flights are not included.

London Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport, was found to have the best performance, with aircraft typically taking off 11 minutes late.

Leeds Bradford had the second best record, followed by Belfast City and London City.

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A spokeswoman for London Luton said: ‘We regret any delay our passengers experience.’

She added that punctuality was influenced by ‘many factors’ outside its control such as air traffic control strikes, late arriving aircraft, bad weather and congested airspace.

Gatwick declared it is doing ‘everything within its power’ to improve the proportion of its flights that depart on time, including using new technology to predict and recover from late running flights and speeding up the time it takes to turn around inbound aircraft.

Passengers on delayed flights from UK airports are entitled to assistance and compensation depending on the cause and length of the disruption.

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When flights are delayed for more than two hours, airlines have to provide free access to phone calls or emails, meals and refreshments, as well as hotel accommodation if an overnight stay is required.

Passengers can also claim compensation when flights are delayed by more than three hours unless there are ‘extraordinary circumstances’ such as severe weather or a security alert.