Birmingham Airport has retained its title of the worst airport in the UK when it comes to flight delays, an investigation has found.

On average, departures from the West Midlands airport were 30 minutes behind schedule in 2022, according to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by the PA news agency.

That was more than twice as long as the previous year when it was also named the worst UK airport for flight delays.

The airport said it is “running smoothly” this year.

What happens if you miss your flight due to airport delays?

Doncaster Sheffield, which closed in November, and Manchester Airport had the joint second poorest punctuality records in 2022 with an average delay of 29 minutes.

These airports were followed by Luton (28 minutes), Gatwick (27 minutes) and Bristol (26 minutes) airports.

East Midlands Airport performed the best with an average delay of 13 minutes.

The average delay time across all UK airports was 23 minutes.

The analysis took into account all scheduled and chartered departures but cancelled flights were not included.

What should airlines do when flights are delayed?

When flights are significantly delayed, airlines are required under consumer laws to provide passengers with assistance, which can include refreshments, a means of communication and accommodation if required.

Passengers are also due compensation of up to £520 depending on the length of the delay and the distance of the flight if the cause of disruption is under an airline’s control.

May and June revealed as the worst months for flight delays in 2022

According to the research, May and June were the worst months for flight reliability in 2022 as the aviation sector failed to recruit and train enough staff to cope with a surge in demand for holidays.

Birmingham Airport was the seventh busiest last year with some 10.3 million passengers travelling through it.

As well as flight delays, many departing passengers were forced to spend several hours in long queues for check-in and security.

Around 50 airlines operate at the airport, such as Ryanair, Jet2.com, Tui Airways, Air France and Emirates.

A Birmingham Airport spokesman said: “The start of 2022 was devastated by Covid.

“After travel restrictions were lifted, the aviation industry fought hard to recover.

“This year, the first since 2020 not impacted by Covid, our airport is running smoothly with customers set to equal or exceed pre-pandemic numbers.

“Customers using Birmingham airport this summer can expect changes to walking routes as we build our £40 million new security hall, set to be ready for June 2024.”

Rory Boland, editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said: “Your choice of airport shouldn’t make or break your trip, but for too many travellers last year that was sadly their experience.

“A repeat of last year’s chaos cannot be allowed to stand again, and airports and airlines must ensure they’re working together to ensure they can deliver their summer schedules as promised, while the Government must urgently grant the CAA the powers it needs to hold the industry to account.

“With at least some level of disruption sadly probable as we head into another busy travel season, airports’ delay records are something some travellers may well want to take into consideration, even if that involves travelling slightly further from home.”

CAA head of consumer Anna Bowles said: “Our data tells us that too many passengers faced disappointing levels of delays across UK airports last year.

“It is important consumers experience a high-quality service from both airlines and airports this year.

“We expect airlines to proactively provide passengers with information about their rights when flights are disrupted.”