UK Airport Flight Delays in 2025

May 5, 2026, 16:59
UKAnalysis

Introduction

Manchester Airport had the longest flight delays in the UK in 2025.

Main Body

Manchester Airport was the slowest. Flights there were late by about 20 minutes. Birmingham and Bournemouth airports were also slow. Liverpool Airport was the fastest. Flights there were late by only 9 minutes. Some people are unhappy. A travel group says passengers do not trust Manchester Airport. The airport says the delays are not their fault. They say bad weather and wars in other countries caused the problems. The government says airlines must help passengers when flights are late. Passengers can get food and drinks. Sometimes they get money. But airlines do not pay money if the delay is because of weather or air traffic problems.

Conclusion

UK flights are faster now, but Manchester Airport is still the slowest because of problems outside the airport.

Learning

Comparing Things

In this story, we see words used to compare airports. To move to A2, you need to know how to describe which one is "more" or "less" of something.

The Rule: Add -est for the top level When we compare three or more things, we often add -est to the end of the word.

  • Fast →\rightarrow Fastest (The number one for speed)
  • Slow →\rightarrow Slowest (The number one for being late)

Examples from the text:

  • "Manchester Airport was the slowest."
  • "Liverpool Airport was the fastest."

Quick Tip: Always use the word "the" before these words. extWrong:extManchesterwasslowest. ext{Wrong: } ext{Manchester was slowest.} extRight:extManchesterwasthe slowest. ext{Right: } ext{Manchester was } \mathbf{the} \text{ slowest.}

Vocabulary Learning

airport (n.)
a place where planes take off and land
Example:I went to the airport to pick up my friend.
flight (n.)
a journey by airplane
Example:The flight to London left at 10 a.m.
delay (n.)
a period of time when something is late
Example:The delay caused many passengers to miss their connections.
late (adj.)
arriving after the scheduled time
Example:The train was late because of a broken signal.
minutes (n.)
units of time, each equal to 60 seconds
Example:She waited for 15 minutes before the bus arrived.
travel (v.)
to go from one place to another
Example:We plan to travel to Spain next summer.
group (n.)
a number of people gathered together
Example:A group of tourists visited the museum.
passenger (n.)
a person who rides on a vehicle
Example:The passenger boarded the plane with her luggage.
trust (v.)
to believe in the reliability of someone or something
Example:I trust my friend to keep my secret.
weather (n.)
the conditions of the atmosphere at a particular time
Example:The weather is sunny today.
war (n.)
a conflict between countries or groups
Example:War can cause many people to leave their homes.
government (n.)
the group that runs a country
Example:The government announced new travel rules.
airline (n.)
a company that flies people on planes
Example:The airline offered free meals on the flight.
help (v.)
to assist or support
Example:The staff will help you with your luggage.
food (n.)
what we eat
Example:The airport has many food stalls.