Exeter Airport named among worst in the country for flight delays

Exeter Airport has been named as one of the worst in the country for flight delays.

Departures from the airport in 2021 were on average 11 minutes and 12 seconds late taking off, according to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Exeter is ranked fourth worst in the UK, coming in behind Birmingham, Southampton and Heathrow.

Elsewhere in the South West, Bristol Airport ranked 17th out of the 24 UK airports with an average delay time of six minutes and six seconds.

The ranking takes into account all scheduled and chartered departures. Cancelled flights are not included.

Punctuality across all UK airports in 2021 was better than before the coronavirus pandemic, larely due to the reduction in flights caused by travel restrictions.

But Jo Rhodes, an expert for consumer magazine Which? Travel, said this year has been a "different story entirely".

She said: “Holiday-makers have endured wide-scale flight cancellations as well as unacceptably long queues at check-in, bag drop and airport security.

“The Government must take action to restore consumer confidence in travel.

"That should involve stronger powers for the CAA, including the ability to fine airlines directly when they break the law.

“Ministers should also drop their ill-conceived plans to slash compensation rates for delayed or cancelled domestic flights.”

Exeter Airport has been have been approached for a comment.