Travel Chaos Hits UK as 551 Flights Delayed and 28 Canceled Across London Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Birmingham, Impacting British Airways, Jet2, Virgin Atlantic, easyJet And Other Airlines

Published on December 15, 2025

UK flights faced widespread disruption today, with 579 flight delays and cancellations recorded across London Heathrow (LHR), London Gatwick (LGW), Manchester (MAN), and Birmingham International (BHX). London Heathrow recorded 202 delays and 9 cancellations, Gatwick 137 delays and 8 cancellations, Manchester 181 delays and 11 cancellations, and Birmingham 31 delays with no cancellations, making London Heathrow and Manchester the most disrupted airports by volume. The most severe impacts were concentrated at Heathrow and Manchester, while Gatwick saw notable airline-specific strain and Birmingham experienced delays without cancellations. easyJet, British Airways, Jet2, Virgin Atlantic, and Aer Lingus-linked operators emerged as the most affected airlines by combined delays and cancellations.

• Update today: UK airports recorded 551 delays and 28 cancellations, with disruption concentrated at Heathrow, Manchester, and Gatwick.
• London Heathrow (LHR) led delay volumes with 202 delays, alongside 9 cancellations, driven largely by British Airways operations.
• easyJet and British Airways were the most affected airlines overall, while Jet2 and BA Euroflyer recorded significant delay volumes.
• Manchester (MAN) followed closely with 181 delays and 11 cancellations, where easyJet was the primary cancellation driver.
• London Gatwick (LGW) logged 137 delays and 8 cancellations, all cancellations linked to easyJet services.
• Birmingham International (BHX) experienced 31 delays and zero cancellations, indicating lighter but persistent disruption.

Most Affected UK Airports by Cancellations and Delays

London Heathrow (LHR)

London Heathrow was the most delayed airport today, registering 202 delays and 9 cancellations. British Airways accounted for the majority of disruptions, with over 120 delayed flights and multiple cancellations, affecting both short-haul and long-haul operations. Heathrow’s central role in UK and international connectivity amplified knock-on delays across Europe and beyond.

Manchester (MAN)

Manchester recorded 181 delays and 11 cancellations, making it the most cancelled airport among those assessed. easyJet alone accounted for 7 cancellations and 60 delays, while additional strain was visible across Jet2, Aer Lingus, and Emerald Airlines operations. The disruption spread across UK, European, and limited transatlantic routes.

London Gatwick (LGW)

London Gatwick reported 137 delays and 8 cancellations, with easyJet responsible for all cancellations and the majority of delays. While no US-linked flights were impacted, the scale of airline-specific disruption placed Gatwick among the most affected UK airports today.

Birmingham International (BHX)

Birmingham experienced 31 delays and no cancellations, reflecting operational slowdowns rather than service suspensions. Delays were spread across multiple carriers, including easyJet, Jet2, and Emerald Airlines UK, with limited spillover into European leisure routes.

Connected UK and European Airports

Secondary impacts were observed at Dublin, Edinburgh, Belfast, Amsterdam Schiphol, Geneva, and Frankfurt, largely as delay spillovers tied to aircraft rotation and inbound schedule disruption from major UK hubs.

Airlines Most Affected by Flight Cancellations and Delays

easyJet

easyJet was the largest disruption driver today, responsible for 15 cancellations across Gatwick and Manchester and over 140 delays across multiple UK airports. Operational pressure was most visible at Gatwick and Manchester.

British Airways

British Airways faced significant delays and multiple cancellations, primarily at London Heathrow, where it accounted for the majority of delayed movements. Disruption extended across European and long-haul schedules.

Jet2

Jet2 recorded high delay volumes, particularly at Manchester and Birmingham, reflecting sustained schedule strain despite limited cancellations.

Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic experienced both delays and cancellations, mainly concentrated at Heathrow, impacting long-haul connectivity.

Aer Lingus and Aer Lingus UK

Aer Lingus-linked operators saw cancellations at Manchester and repeated delays across UK routes, contributing to regional disruption between the UK and Ireland.

How Travellers Were Impacted at Major Airports

• Longer waiting times at departure gates due to rolling delays
• Increased risk of missed onward connections, particularly at hub airports
• Rebooking congestion for cancelled short-haul services
• Extended turnaround times affecting later departures
• Greater uncertainty for same-day return and leisure travellers
• Passengers are suggested to check baggage policies as delays increase the chance of luggage separation on affected flights.

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Overview of UK Flight Cancellations

Today’s UK flight cancellations were concentrated at London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and Manchester, with Manchester and Heathrow recording the highest cancellation counts. easyJet and British Airways were the most affected airlines by cancellations and delays, while Jet2 and Aer Lingus-linked carriers contributed significantly to overall delay volumes. London Heathrow and Manchester emerged as the most disrupted cities, followed by London Gatwick, as repeated delays and cancellations affected travel flows across the UK and into Europe. While Birmingham avoided cancellations entirely, persistent delays still reflected nationwide operational strain, reinforcing Heathrow, Manchester, and Gatwick as the core disruption points in today’s UK air travel landscape.

Image Source: AI

Source: Different airports and FlightAware