It’s not a title we’re massively buzzing to hear about… but Manchester Airport has just been named in the top 10 UK airports with the longest delays.
It’s all according to a new study by travel tips and discount platform, Tripplo.
We can all pretty much agree that delays are one of the worst parts about flying, but where in the country are you most likely to get held up and find yourself having to kill a couple of hours waiting around? In a bid to get to the bottom of this, Trippolo has analysed the latest travel data from the Civil Aviation Authority to see which UK airports were experiencing the longest delays on average.
Manchester Airport has, unfortunately, found itself sitting within the not-so-coveted top 10 – but thankfully, our region wasn’t found to be the worst offender in the study.
Manchester Airport has been named in top 10 UK airports with the longest delays / Credit: Natali Quijano | Suhyeon Choi (via Unsplash)
That honour (if you can even call it that) has been awarded to Aberdeen in Scotland, where the airport sees the longest delays of any in the UK.
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With an average delay of 20.70 minutes from 6,757 flights studied – which is over four minutes longer than any other airport – the latest data from December 2023 shows that the average delay at Aberdeen that month was 26.04 minutes.
Second place on the list goes to Isle of Man Airport, also known as Ronaldsway Airport, where there was an average delays of 22.53 minutes, and then the UK’s second-busiest airport, London Gatwick, has claimed the third spot, with an average delay of 15.47 minutes for 58,762 flights studied in 2023.
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Manchester Airport comes in fourth place on the list.
It’s all according to a new study by travel tips and discount platform, Tripplo / Credit: Anete Lūsiņa (via Unsplash)
Our region‘s travel hub saw average delays of 14.02 minutes in 2023 for a total of 39,771 flights that were studied, and data from December showed the average delay that month to be 21.63 minutes.
Rounding out the top five is another London airport in Luton, while some of the other airports featuring in the top 10 include Heathrow, Bristol, and Edinburgh.
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Top 10 UK airports with the longest average delays
Aberdeen – 20.7 minutes
Isle of Man – 16.22 minutes
Gatwick – 15.47 minutes
Manchester – 14.02 minutes
Luton – 13.58 minutes
Heathrow – 13.56 minutes
Edinburgh – 13.31 minutes
Teeside – 12.51 minutes
Bristol – 12.44 minutes
Stanstead – 12.43 minutes
“While it’s never ideal for any of your flights to be delayed, you’ll likely experience it at some point, especially if you’re a frequent flyer,” commented Axel Hernborg, who is the founder of Tripplo.com, on the study’s finding.
“That being said, it’s interesting to see the big difference in the length of delays at certain UK airports, and it will be worth seeing if this correlates with the number of cancellations at each of these airports as well.
“With the summer holidays also coming up, whether the amount of cancellations we have seen across the UK in recent years keeps up will be worth noting too.”
Featured Image – Albert Bridge (via Pxhere / Geograph)
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Tickets officially go on sale for rare 70mm IMAX screenings of Dune: Part Three in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Tickets have now officially gone on sale for rare 70mm IMAX screenings of Dune: Part Three in Manchester.
Arriving on screens from 18 December and gearing up to be one of the most anticipated films of the year, Dune: Part Three – which is the third and final instalment in director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune franchise – will be screening in IMAX 70mm at Vue Manchester Printworks, one of only three venues to show it in this format nationwide.
There are only 40 other venues across the globe showing the film in IMAX 70mm, and Manchester is the only city outside of London to screen the blockbuster this way too.
Based on the novels of Frank Herbert and set nearly two decades after the previous film, Dune: Part Three features an ensemble cast of all-star names led by Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya.
Alongside them will be Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rebecca Ferguson, Robert Pattinson, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin.
After seats for a special early screening of the film in IMAX sold out in less than 30 minutes last month, the IMAX 70mm showings – which officially went live today (20 October) – are expected to be snapped up fast by film fans in Manchester.
“A decade in the making, Denis Villeneuve’s epic Dune trilogy is reaching its dramatic conclusion this December,” explained Dean Cross, who is the Senior Screen Content Manager at Vue.
“As the only venue outside of London to be screening Dune: Part Three in IMAX 70mm, it’s a privilege for us to offer this unique way to experience the film.”
Dune: Part Three is coming to Vue Manchester Printworks on 18 December, and you can book your tickets here.
Featured Image – Warner Bros.
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Free pints and live craft experiences coming to a Manchester pub for one night only
Daisy Jackson
A pop-up pub takeover is opening its doors in Manchester, where you can get your hands on a free pint as well as some amazing craft experiences.
The Uncommon Inn is being operated by premium Italian lager brand Poretti, who want to help us Brits break out of our daily routines.
Matt & Phreds on Tib Street will welcome The Uncommon Inn on Thursday 22 October, from 4pm to 8pm, giving visitors the chance to discover unusual creative skills and watch artisans at work, with a free pint in hand.
It comes after research commissioned by Poretti found that 61% of UK adults feel they are living on autopilot, while a quarter have not tried a new creative pursuit in five years or more.
Free pints and live craft experiences are coming to a Manchester pub for one night only / Credit: Supplied
The study also found that adults have an average of just 90 minutes of genuine personal time each day, with 58% spending that time watching television and 35% scrolling through social media.
Exhaustion and financial constraints came out as the main barriers preventing people from trying new things.
The Uncommon Inn has been designed to offer an alternative, bringing together a collective of specialist makers to showcase their skills in a familiar pub setting.
Visitors to the Manchester event can watch Giulio Miglietta embroidering personalised beer mats, using a vintage Singer sewing machine dating back to the early 1900s, alongside live hand-engraving and bespoke jewellery-style crafting using recycled silver.
The Uncommon Inn is being operated by premium Italian lager brand Poretti / Credit: Supplied
Other demonstrations include 3D body-casting by sculptor Ami of Angelcasts and personalised, hand-engraved glassware from Leigh Calligraphy. Sabira of Sken Studios will also demonstrate how recycled silver can be turned into bespoke bottle openers.
Guests will be able to enjoy complimentary pints of Poretti while watching the makers at work.
Caitlin Maley, Senior Brand Manager at Poretti, said: “Modern life moves at an overwhelming pace, and it’s all too easy to fall into autopilot mode where routine replaces curiosity.
“We believe in celebrating intentional craft, rare skills, and authentic human connection – values that are at the core of our brewing heritage.
“We created The Uncommon Inn to turn an ordinary pub visit into an inspiring journey. By bringing together our Masters of Crafts, from chainstitch embroiderers to live engravers and musicians, we’re inviting pubgoers to slow down, pick up a new skill, and enjoy a pint crafted with genuine passion.”
The Uncommon Inn is at Matt & Phreds in Manchester on Thursday 22 October, from 4pm until 8pm.
Emily Sergeant -
6th March 2024 
