With people jetting off on their holidays or heading home to visit family and friends to celebrate the festivities, airports and flights all around the world are due to get extremely busy in the coming weeks.
However, with busyness and wintery weather conditions can come the risk of flights being delayed and in some cases cancelled.
With this in mind, eSIM travel company, Airalo, has analysed 2023 December Flight Punctuality data from the UK Civil Aviation Authority to reveal the best UK airlines to fly with this Christmas to avoid flight cancellations and delays…and the results are in.
| Rank | Airline Name | Average Delay Time (Mins) | Number of flights cancelled(Dec 2023) | Percentage of Flights Cancelled(Dec 2023) |
| 1 | BA EUROFLYER LTD DBA BRITISH AIRWAYS | 23 | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2 | JET2.COM LTD | 20 | 15 | 0.32% |
| 3 | EASYJET UK LTD | 21 | 101 | 0.36% |
| 4 | WIZZ AIR UK LTD | 24 | 9 | 0.40% |
| 5 | TUI AIRWAYS LTD | 35 | 15 | 0.53% |
| 6 | RYANAIR UK LTD | 25 | 25 | 1.08% |
| 7 | VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS LTD | 16 | 36 | 1.85% |
| 8 | BRITISH AIRWAYS PLC | 28 | 696 | 3.19% |
| 9 | BA CITYFLYER LTD | 29 | 98 | 3.20% |
| 10 | AER LINGUS (UK) LTD | 31 | 5 | 4.55% |
British airline and subsidiary of British Airways, BA Euroflyer, takes the top spot as the most reliable UK airline with the airline cancelling 0 flights last December. With an average delay time of only 22 minutes, BA Euroflyer passengers are in serious luck this Christmas if they’re jetting away!
Coming in second place is the third-largest scheduled airline in the UK*, Jet2. With only 0.32% of flights being cancelled last Christmas and delay times averaging at around 20 minutes, Jet2 proves itself to be one of the most reliable airlines to fly with in December!
The UK’s fourth largest airline*, TUI Airways makes the top five most reliable airlines with only 0.53% of flights being cancelled last Christmas.
Offering scheduled and charter flights from the United Kingdom and Ireland to destinations in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America, TUI is a safe airline choice this Christmas if you’re jetting off.
Virgin Atlantic was the most punctual airline last Christmas, with an average delay time of just 16 minutes.
Additionally, only 1.85% of its flights were cancelled during the festive season, making it a reliable choice for holiday travellers. This is particularly appealing for those planning long-haul journeys, as the airline serves destinations across North America, the Caribbean, Africa, and the Middle East.
Irish Airline, Aer Lingus, wraps up the top ten best airlines to fly with this Christmas. With 4.55% of flights being cancelled last December and an average delay time of around 31 minutes, Aer Lingus is a great choice of airline this Christmas.
