If you're planning on flying to Majorca this summer then be prepared for a long wait. Holidaymakers are more likely to face flight delays when travelling to the Balearic island than to any other destination.
Figures released by the Civil Aviation Authority showed more than half of all charter flights to Majorca, the most popular holiday destination for UK tourists, were delayed between October and December compared with 43 per cent the previous year. The average length of delay also increased from 28 minutes to 50 minutes.
It's the same story in the peak holiday period, with 55 per cent of Majorca-bound charter flights delayed last summer, up from 48 per cent the previous year. And Simon Evans, spokesman for the industry watchdog Air Transport Users' Council (AUC), predicts it's going to get worse. 'There is little airlines can do to alleviate the problem. All the charter aircraft fly in on the same day so even big airports like Palma (Majorca) struggle to cope with the influx,' he said.
Other troublespots pointed out by the CAA included winter sun destinations such as Malaga (average delay of 35 minutes) and the Canary Islands of Las Palmas (38 minutes) and Tenerife (34 minutes).
Evans said the figures also hid some very severe delays on certain flights. 'A good proportion of those flights were on time so there must have been some really horrible delays,' he said.
Overall, the average delay for charter passengers increased from eight to 37 minutes between October and December last year. The increase was particularly high at Luton (12 minutes), Manchester (11 minutes), Gatwick and Newcastle (nine minutes). An aircraft is classified as late if it reaches the terminal more than 15 minutes after it's due.
Passengers on scheduled flights did not fare well either - the average delay rose by four minutes to 16 minutes. The deterioration was widespread, with scheduled services at all airports experiencing an increase in the length of the average delay. Travellers heading for Paris Charles De Gaulle were delayed for an average of 21 minutes while Dublin-bound passengers were forced to wait an average of 18 minutes.
