THERE’S nothing worse than looking forward to your summer holiday, arriving at the airport and then being told your flight is cancelled.
And now the worst flight routes for cancellations have been announced, with some of the most popular holiday hotspots coming out on top.
According to new analysis of flight data by AirAdvisor, flights between London’s key hubs and Majorca and Ibiza are most likely to be cancelled this summer.
The study looked at routes between the UK and European airports that had more than 100 flights scheduled per month.
Coming out on top is the route between London Luton and Ibiza with a cancellation rate of 5.56 per cent between June 1 and August 31.
London Heathrow to Majorca came up second worst for cancellations, at a rate of 1.6 per cent.
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Rounding out the top three is London Gatwick to Lisbon in Portugal, with a cancellation rate of 1.43 per cent.
In fact, out of the routes with the most cancellations 10 out of the top 12 are from London airports.
Bristol to Málaga came in seventh worst for cancellations, at 1.2 per cent.
This route was followed by Birmingham to Palma de Majorca, at 1.02 per cent.
Overall, four of the top 10 routes from the UK with the highest cancellation rates are to Majorca.
More than two million Brits travel to Majorca during the peak summer season, with the airport also being one of the busiest airports in Europe.
According to AirAdvisor, so far this summer 36 of 1050 flights departing from Gatwick and Heathrow airports heading to Majorca have been cancelled – which is around 3.44 per cent.
Anton Radchenko, CEO of AirAdvisor said: “Cancellation risk on UK routes to Europe is not spread evenly, and this summer the Balearics are carrying a bigger share of the risk than anywhere else.
“That’s worth understanding before you travel, because a cancellation is not just a long wait at the gate. You lose your slot. Same-day options dry up quickly.
“And from that point on, the airline decides what happens next, not you.
“Under UK261, if you’re told your flight is cancelled less than 14 days before departure, you may be entitled to between £220 and £520 in compensation, depending on how far you were flying.”
Top 10 worst routes for cancellations
THESE are the worst airport routes from the UK for flight cancellations over the summer period:
- London Luton – Ibiza = 5.56 per cent
- London Heathrow – Palma de Mallorca = 1.60 per cent
- London Gatwick – Lisbon = 1.43 per cent
- London Heathrow – Ibiza = 1.38 per cent
- London Gatwick – Palma de Mallorca = 1.31 per cent
- London Luton – Palma de Mallorca = 1.30 per cent
- Bristol – Málaga = 1.20 per cent
- Birmingham – Palma de Mallorca = 1.02 per cent
- London Gatwick – Ibiza = 0.92 per cent
- London Gatwick – Málaga = 0.63 per cent