London Heathrow named UK airport with most cancelled routes - full list of flights that never took off

Passengers flying out of London Heathrow are much more likely to be hit by cancellations than in any other UK airport. According to research, the popular airport holds eight places in a table of the 10 most cancelled routes leaving the UK since April 2022.

The research was conducted by flight delay compensation experts Bott and Co, who obtained figures from EUclaim to determine the most cancelled routes between UK airports and European destinations. The statistics, which cover April 1 2022 to July 4 this year, show London Heathrow is the biggest offender.

According to the data, 411 flights from Heathrow to Amsterdam were cancelled over that time period, with 270 flights to Frankfurt also cancelled. Following that, 215 flights from London City to Amsterdam were cancelled, as were 207 flights from London Gatwick to the same destination.

Coby Benson, Flight Delay Compensation Solicitor at Bott and Co, who analysed the figures, said: “Flight cancellations can be an incredibly frustrating occurrence, forcing passengers to either reschedule or completely miss the weekend city break or important family event they had been excited to attend.

“It’s totally normal for some flights to be cancelled due to reasons such as staff shortages, airspace closures or inclement weather, but some routes are clearly more affected than others.

“Passengers travelling from London Heathrow to Amsterdam suffer the most, with 411 cancellations since April 2022, followed by London Heathrow to Frankfurt with 270. Obviously this can be due to the large volume of flights between these particular destinations - there are around 90 per day from London to Amsterdam and back.

“And because it is a shorter route, this is often one of those cancelled by airlines when they have issues elsewhere. But the numbers will still be a concern for many booked on these flights, who would rather be tucking into a pancake and strolling down the canal than sitting in a terminal trying to make alternative arrangements.”

A London Heathrow spokesperson said: “We want all our passengers to have a seamless journey when they travel. We’re proud that our colleagues are welcoming more passengers than we’ve seen since the start of the pandemic while delivering excellent service. No one wants their flight cancelled, and we work hard with our airline and ground handling partners to ensure everyone can get away as planned.”

According to data from the Civil Aviation Authority for 2022, the national average cancellation rate was 1.6%, with Heathrow ranking ninth with 1.7%, in line with the national average. Because of the airport's capacity to serve a significant number of flights, the number of cancelled flights is also the highest.

London airports with most cancelled flights 

• London Heathrow – Amsterdam, The Netherlands: 411 cancellations
• London Heathrow – Frankfurt, Germany: 270
• London City – Amsterdam, The Netherlands: 215
• London Gatwick – Amsterdam, The Netherlands: 207
• London Heathrow – Dublin, Ireland: 204
• London Heathrow – Munich, Germany: 193
• London Heathrow – Geneva, Switzerland: 192
• London Heathrow – Paris CDF, France: 162
• London Heathrow – Madrid, Spain: 140
• London Heathrow – Zurich, Switzerland: 137