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Short Haul Flights
AirHelp has conducted an in-depth analysis comparing short-haul and long-haul flights departing from the United Kingdom between January and September this year. The findings point to growing pressures on short-haul operators, which are carrying more passengers than ever and are facing mounting disruption levels, cancellations, and compensation claims.
Surging passenger volumes
AirHelp revealed that over 54.6 million people travelled on short-haul flights (covering distances between 0 and 1,500 km) during this period. Of these passengers, 25% – approximately 13.7 million – experienced a disruption. Notably, 671,000 people had their flights cancelled, and 530,000 were eligible for compensation from their airline.
In comparison, 22.5 million UK passengers flew on a long-haul flight (exceeding 3,500 km), with 27% (6 million) facing disruptions. Among them, 564,000 people had their flights cancelled, and 485,000 passengers qualified for compensation between January and September.
These figures highlight that short-haul flights carried 2.5 times more passengers than long haul flights. While the disruption rates are similar, short-haul flights saw higher rates of cancellations and compensation eligibility. This suggests that short-haul carriers are dealing with unprecedented operational pressures. With rising passenger volumes and tighter turnarounds than long-haul routes, short-haul networks are becoming more vulnerable to knock-on delays and cancellations – impacting millions of travellers.
Leading airlines by passenger volume
When looking at short-haul flights, EasyJet emerged as the most popular airline, carrying more than 14.2 million passengers from the UK between January and September. British Airways followed closely with 11.7 million people, while Ryanair transported 11.1 million passengers.
British Airways, the UK’s flag carrier, was also popular in the long-haul category, flying over 5.8 million passengers. Other major players included Emirates, with over 2.2 million people, and Virgin Atlantic Airways, which welcomed 2 million on its long-distance routes.
Top travel destinations
Between January and September, the most popular short-haul destination for UK passengers was within the United Kingdom, with 14 million people flying domestically. Spain followed with 6.5 million passengers, while Ireland, France, and Germany each attracted between 4.7 and 4.9 million travellers, highlighting the strong preference for European travel among short-haul flyers.
Long-haul passengers, on the other hand, favoured North America and the Middle East. The United States was a clear leader, welcoming over 7.8 million UK passengers – more than double the next most popular destination, the United Arab Emirates at 2.9 million. India, Canada, and Qatar were also popular, each receiving between 1.3 and 1.4 million passengers during this period.
Best and worst performing routes
Several short-haul flight paths stood out for their punctuality, with routes from Dyce Airport to Bergen Flesland and Sola in Norway both achieving an impressive 94% on-time departure rate. Flights departing from Liverpool to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport also saw high punctuality at 91%. However, not all short-haul routes fared well – Birmingham to Milan Bergamo saw 60% of passengers impacted by disruptions, followed by Birmingham to Madrid–Barajas Airport (57%) and Manchester to Bergamo (56%).
Long-haul flights showed even stronger punctuality on select routes – all of which arrived in China. London Heathrow to Shenzhen led the way with 96% of flights departing on-time, closely followed by Heathrow to Beijing Daxing (95%) and Edinburgh to Beijing Capital (92%). On the other hand, disruption was significant on routes from Manchester to Cairo, where 77% of passengers were affected, and London Gatwick to Raja Sansi and Ahmedabad, with 72% and 71% disruption rates, respectively.
AirHelp’s CEO, Tomasz Pawliszyn concluded, “Our latest analysis highlights the scale and complexity of flight disruptions affecting UK passengers. While short-haul flights carry significantly more passengers, they also experience higher rates of cancellations and compensation eligibility. These insights are crucial for helping passengers make informed travel decisions about air travel based on more than just the price of a flight. Our goal is to equip them with the right information and encourage airlines to improve reliability across the board.”
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Source: traveldailymedia