Stansted Airport is among the worst in the UK for Easter flight delays, it has been claimed.
Nearly three in ten flights departing the airport in April were delayed by more than 15 minutes, according to analysis by Locals Insider.
Locals Insider examined more than 650,000 flights from Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data during four April periods between 2022 and 2025.
The study covered departures from 24 UK airports during April, one of the busiest months for travel due to the Easter holiday period.
Stansted Airport recorded a 29.7 per cent delay rate, placing it third highest in the country, tied with London Luton Airport.
Birmingham topped the list with a 29.9 per cent delay rate, followed by Manchester at 29.8 per cent.
Martin Danemaq, a spokesperson for Locals Insider, said: "Stansted is one of the UK's busiest airports and handles an enormous volume of flights during April, so the Easter period naturally brings with it a real risk of disruption for passengers departing there.
"When airports are operating at or close to full capacity, even routine delays can have a knock-on effect across the terminal.
"For anyone flying from Stansted this Easter, our advice would be to allow extra time for the journey, check flight status in the days before departure, and make sure everything is in order well ahead of arriving at the airport."
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The analysis found that 57,454 flights departed Stansted during the periods studied.
Other major airports also reported high rates of disruption.
Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport, saw 26.4 per cent of its 147,933 April departures delayed by more than 15 minutes.
Gatwick reported a 26 per cent delay rate out of 82,386 flights.
In contrast, some airports recorded much lower levels of disruption.
Belfast City Airport was the most reliable, with only 17.6 per cent of its 8,263 April departures delayed.
East Midlands Airport followed closely with a 17.8 per cent delay rate, and London City Airport recorded 18.4 per cent.
Stansted’s delay performance places it among the least reliable in the UK for Easter travel.
Experts recommend that passengers plan ahead, monitor flight information in the days leading up to travel, and arrive at the airport well in advance of their scheduled departure time.
A London Stansted spokesperson said: “Punctuality of flights can be affected by a number of factors, most of which are outside of an airport’s control.
"These include adverse weather, continental air traffic control issues including capacity restrictions, airspace restrictions and industrial action, particularly across Europe, airline crew shortages or delays to inbound flights.
"As such, it is misleading to passengers to imply a link between airports and delays.
“We are committed to doing everything we can to support our airline partners to achieve the best possible on-time performance, and passengers can feel reassured that the vast majority of flights that leave London Stansted do so on time, and with the fewest number of cancellations of any major airport in the south-east.”
