Major Travel Chaos Hits UK as Over 430 Flights Cancelled and Delayed Across London Heathrow, Edinburgh, and Gatwick, Impacting British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and Other Airlines at Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dublin and More

Published on December 9, 2025

Travel Chaos Hits UK as 408 Flights Delayed and 31 flights Cancelled Across London Heathrow, Edinburgh, and Gatwick, Impacting British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair at Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dublin and More today. Heathrow recorded 197 delays and 15 cancellations, making it the most disrupted airport, followed by Edinburgh with 122 delays and 13 cancellations, and Gatwick with 89 delays and 3 cancellations. British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair, Vueling, and Delta Air Lines were among the airlines most affected, with British Airways alone reporting 89 delays at Heathrow and easyJet recording 47 delays and 8 cancellations at Edinburgh. The most affected airports included London Heathrow, Edinburgh, and London Gatwick, with additional disruptions linked to routes from Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Barcelona.

• Updated today, around 408 delays and 31 cancellations were seen in the UK, across London Heathrow, Edinburgh, and Gatwick.
• British Airways and easyJet saw the highest combined disruption across the three airports.
• Heathrow reported the largest number of delays out of all three hubs.
• Edinburgh recorded the second-highest disruption, with several airlines posting 100% delay rates.
• Gatwick experienced fewer cancellations but consistent moderate delays across European routes.
• High-delay routes included flights touching CDG, AMS, KRK, SVG, and TLS.
• Low-frequency carriers such as Royal Air Maroc, Delta, and Edelweiss showed extremely high delay percentages.

Most Affected UK Airports by Cancellations and Delays

London Heathrow (LHR)

Heathrow faced the most severe disruption with 197 delays and 15 cancellations, primarily driven by British Airways, which reported 89 delays. Several long-haul and European carriers also saw notable disruption, including Delta, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, and American Airlines, contributing to ripple effects across the network.

Edinburgh (EDI)

Edinburgh logged 122 delays and 13 cancellations, with easyJet representing the majority of disruptions. Airlines such as Delta, Edelweiss, Atlantic Airways, and Lauda Europe posted 100% delay rates, showing concentrated operational constraints on select routes.

London Gatwick (LGW)

Gatwick reported 89 delays and 3 cancellations, with easyJet again emerging as the dominant source of irregular operations. Carriers including Royal Air Maroc, Wizz Air, and Turkish Airlines experienced disproportionate delay percentages despite operating smaller schedules.

Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)

Although not a UK airport, AMS contributed to disruption patterns due to delays linked to both Heathrow and Edinburgh routes. Cancellations and delay percentages between 16%–40% impacted airline schedules across the region.

Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)

CDG also played a role in network delays, with routes to Edinburgh and Gatwick showing 20–40% delays, affecting flights operated by Air France, KLM, and other European carriers.

Airlines Most Affected by Cancellations

easyJet

easyJet accounted for the highest number of combined cancellations across the three airports, with 8 cancellations at Edinburgh and 3 at Gatwick, alongside dozens of delays.

British Airways

British Airways reported 11 cancellations at Heathrow and faced extensive delays across LHR, EDI, and LGW, making it one of the most affected carriers in total volume.

Delta Air Lines

Delta posted cancellation numbers at Heathrow and Edinburgh, with a 100% delay rate at Edinburgh, reflecting significant operational challenges on transatlantic links.

Lufthansa

Lufthansa experienced cancellations at Edinburgh and delay percentages of 20% at Heathrow, showing consistent disruption across the UK.

KLM

KLM recorded cancellations at Edinburgh and had notable delay patterns tied to Amsterdam Schiphol, a major European connection point.

How Travellers Were Impacted at Major Airports

• Plan for extended wait times due to congested departure boards and slower turnarounds.
• Expect gate changes or remote stand departures during peak disruption hours.
• Monitor airline apps for live updates, as delay durations frequently changed.
• Reconfirm connections, especially for flights routed through LHR, EDI, or LGW.
• Allow additional time for check-in and security queues during high-delay periods.
• Review airline compensation policies for cancellations or excessive delays.
• Keep alternative transport or rerouting options in mind when flying through affected airports.

Learn More

Overview of UK Flight Cancellations

The latest operational review shows pronounced strain across London Heathrow, Edinburgh, and London Gatwick, with British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair, Vueling, and Delta Air Lines appearing repeatedly among the airlines facing the highest disruption. Although the focus was on UK airports, the ripple effects extended to major European hubs such as Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Barcelona, which consistently influenced schedules at Heathrow, Edinburgh, and Gatwick. The 31 cancellations and 408 delays underscore the extent of operational challenges faced by airlines like British Airways and easyJet, while airports including Heathrow, Edinburgh, Gatwick, and their connecting hubs saw the highest impact. These interconnected disruptions illustrate how delays at Heathrow, Edinburgh, and Gatwick can cascade into broader network inefficiencies, affecting passenger itineraries and overall travel reliability.

Image Source: AI
Source: Different airports and FlightAware