Gatwick named UK’s most stressful airport for summer travel as delays continue to impact passengers

London Gatwick has been ranked as the UK’s most stressful airport for summer travel, according to new research analysing flight delays and cancellations across the country’s busiest airports.

The study, carried out by online tour operator Exoticca.com using UK Civil Aviation Authority data, examined flight performance during the peak summer months of June, July and August between 2023 and 2025. Airports were assessed using a combined “stress score” based on average departure delays and cancellation rates.

Gatwick topped the rankings with a stress score of 72.37 out of 100, recording the longest average departure delay of any airport analysed at 31 minutes and 32 seconds. Although punctuality has improved over the three-year period – with average delays falling from almost 40 minutes in 2023 to just under 23 minutes in 2025 – the Sussex airport still ranked as the most challenging for summer travellers.

Exeter Airport placed second, driven largely by the highest average cancellation rate in the study at 3.49%. Manchester followed in third, with passengers facing average delays of almost 27 minutes, while Edinburgh and Birmingham completed the top five.

London City Airport ranked sixth despite relatively short average delays, owing to a comparatively high cancellation rate of 3%. Southampton, Jersey, Aberdeen and Bristol rounded out the top ten.

Perhaps surprisingly, Heathrow – the UK’s busiest airport – finished well outside the top ten in 14th place. Despite handling significantly more passengers than any other UK airport, Heathrow recorded an average delay of just under 20 minutes and an average cancellation rate of 1.71%, resulting in a lower overall stress score than several regional airports.

Least stressful airports

At the opposite end of the rankings, East Midlands International Airport emerged as the UK’s least stressful airport for summer travel. The airport recorded an average cancellation rate of just 0.32% alongside average delays of 18 minutes and 17 seconds, giving it the lowest overall stress score in the study.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport ranked second among the least stressful airports, followed by Cardiff Wales, Belfast International and Leeds Bradford. Newcastle, Glasgow, Teesside International, Belfast City and Bournemouth completed the top ten.

While Bournemouth recorded one of the longest average delays among the least stressful airports at more than 26 minutes, it also achieved the lowest cancellation rate of any airport analysed at just 0.10%, helping secure its place in the rankings.

Delays improving across much of the UK

Although several airports continue to experience significant disruption during the summer holiday period, the research also highlights encouraging improvements in punctuality across the UK.

Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol and Glasgow all recorded noticeably shorter average departure delays in 2025 compared with 2023, suggesting operational performance has improved despite sustained demand during the peak travel season.

However, the findings underline that disruption remains a feature of summer travel, with both delays and cancellations continuing to affect passengers across the UK airport network.

Commenting on the findings, an Exoticca.com spokesperson said: “Summer travel can already feel stressful, even before delays or cancellations are added into the mix. Airports are busier, families are travelling with more luggage, and many people are trying to make tight connections or reach resorts, cruises and tours at a specific time.

“What this ranking shows is that airport stress does not always come from one single issue. Some airports rank highly because passengers are more likely to face longer delays, while others are pushed up the list because cancellations are more common. For travellers, both can cause serious disruption, especially when they are flying abroad for a long-awaited holiday.”

The spokesperson also advised passengers to allow extra time when travelling during the summer months, avoid overly tight flight connections where possible, keep essential items in their hand luggage and regularly check their airline’s app for updates before travelling.

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