Millions of Brits fly during the summer holiday season, and with them comes a wave of delays, cancellations and complaints. At MoneyExpert, we have analysed the latest UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) complaints data, covering Q2 2025 to Q1 2026, to reveal which airlines attracted the most passenger complaints, how much compensation was paid out, and what passengers can do if their trip goes wrong.
Key findings:
Ryanair has overtaken Wizz Air as the UK's most complained-about airline, with 15,863 cases opened in 2025, up 36.4% year-on-year.
Wizz Air recorded the biggest improvement among major carriers, with complaints down 41.9% (a fall of 3,112 cases), dropping it from first to third place.
Ryanair paid out £2,350,962 in compensation over the period; Wizz Air paid £2.54 million; EasyJet paid £959,723.
Virgin Atlantic passengers received the highest average award per upheld complaint, at £1,288, more than double Ryanair's average of £458.
Based on 337,671 flights operated in the period, Ryanair's complaint volume equates to roughly one complaint per 21 flights.
Source: MoneyExpert analysis of CAA airline complaints data, Q2 2025–Q1 2026.
Top 10 most complained-about airlines (Q2 2025–Q1 2026)
Rank | Airline | Total cases opened | Average compensation award |
1 | Ryanair | 15,863 | £458 |
2 | EasyJet | 7,982 | £560 |
3 | Wizz Air | 7,436 | £637 |
4 | British Airways Plc | 7,349 | £829 |
5 | Tui Airways Ltd | 3,104 | £737 |
6 | Air France / KLM | 2,848 | £521 |
7 | Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd | 654 | £1,288 |
8 | Thy Turkish Airlines | 566 | £841 |
9 | Air Canada | 244 | £851 |
10 | Air Portugal | 193 | £627 |
Source: MoneyExpert analysis of CAA data.
Source: MoneyExpert analysis of CAA airline complaints data, Q2 2025–Q1 2026.
Ryanair overtakes Wizz Air as the most complained-about airline
Ryanair recorded 15,863 complaint cases in 2025, an increase of 5,780 on the 10,083 cases opened in 2024, a rise of 36.4%. The airline operated 337,671 flights during the period, meaning the figures equate to roughly one passenger complaint for every 21 flights. Ryanair paid a total of £2,350,962 in compensation to consumers, with an average award of £458 per upheld case, the lowest average payout among the top four carriers.
EasyJet climbs to second place
EasyJet rose two places compared with 2024, with 7,982 cases opened in 2025, an increase of 772 complaints (9.7%) on the previous period. The airline paid £959,723 in consumer awards, with an average award of £560 per upheld complaint.
Wizz Air falls from first to third
Wizz Air recorded 7,436 cases in 2025, down 3,112 on the previous period, a fall of 41.9%, the largest year-on-year improvement of any major carrier. Despite the drop, Wizz Air paid out the most in total compensation among the top three, at £2.54 million, with an average award of £637 per upheld case.
The rest of the top 10
British Airways recorded 7,349 cases, the fourth-highest total, and the highest average award among the "big four" carriers at £829 per upheld case. Tui Airways followed with 3,104 cases and an average award of £737. Air France/KLM recorded 2,848 cases with an average award of £521. Virgin Atlantic, Thy Turkish Airlines, Air Canada and Air Portugal rounded out the top 10 with lower complaint volumes but, in Virgin Atlantic's case, notably higher average compensation (see below).
Top 10 airlines by average compensation per complaint
While Ryanair, EasyJet and Wizz Air generate the highest volume of complaints, they are not the airlines paying the most per case. Smaller carriers with fewer complaints tend to pay considerably more per upheld claim, likely reflecting a higher proportion of long-haul routes, where UK261/EU261 compensation tiers are more generous.
Rank | Airline | Total cases opened | Average award |
1 | Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd | 654 | £1,288 |
2 | Royal Brunei Airlines | 10 | £1,173 |
3 | Delta Air Lines | 73 | £963 |
4 | Egyptair | 139 | £854 |
5 | Air Canada | 244 | £851 |
6 | Thy Turkish Airlines | 566 | £841 |
7 | Cathay Pacific Airways | 58 | £830 |
8 | British Airways Plc | 7,349 | £829 |
9 | Tui Airways Ltd | 3,104 | £737 |
10 | Sas | 63 | £688 |
Source: MoneyExpert analysis of CAA data.
Virgin Atlantic passengers received the highest average compensation of any airline reviewed, at £1,288 per upheld case, across 654 complaints. Royal Brunei Airlines ranked second despite handling just 10 cases in the period, with an average award of £1,173. Delta Air Lines ranked third, with 73 cases and an average award of £963. Egyptair, Air Canada, Thy Turkish Airlines, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Tui Airways and SAS complete the top 10, with average awards ranging from £688 to £854.
Source: MoneyExpert analysis of CAA airline complaints data, Q2 2025–Q1 2026.
Know your rights: what UK261 and EU261 actually entitle you to
Most complaints stem from confusion over what passengers are legally owed. Under UK261 (and its EU equivalent, EU261), airlines have specific, legally binding obligations depending on the length of the delay, the distance of the flight, and whether the disruption was within the airline's control.
If your flight is delayed
The airline must provide free food and drink, access to phone calls and emails, and overnight accommodation plus transport if you're delayed overnight. How long the delay must be before these kick in depends on flight distance:
Flight distance | Delay before airline must help |
Less than 1,500km | 2 hours |
1,500km–3,500km | 3 hours |
More than 3,500km | 4 hours |
If the delay reaches 3 hours or more (4 hours for long-haul) and it was the airline's fault, for example a technical fault or crewing issue rather than weather or security, you're entitled to fixed compensation:
Delay to arrival | Flight distance | Compensation |
3+ hours | Under 1,500km | £220 |
3+ hours | 1,500km–3,500km | £350 |
4+ hours | Over 3,500km | £520 |
Under 4 hours | Over 3,500km | £260 |
If the delay reaches 5 hours or more, you can refuse the flight entirely and are entitled to a full refund, including any connecting flights in the same booking, and a return flight to your original departure airport if you're partway through a journey.
If your flight is cancelled
You're entitled to either a full refund or a replacement flight. If you're rebooked and the new flight arrives 2 or more hours later than originally scheduled, and you were given less than 14 days' notice, you're also entitled to fixed compensation, ranging from £110 to £520 depending on flight distance and how much notice you were given. Full detail on the tiered amounts is available via Citizens Advice and the CAA (linked below).
Airline vs travel insurance: who pays for what
A common misconception is that travel insurance duplicates airline compensation. It doesn't. Compensation and duty-of-care obligations above come from the airline. Travel insurance is designed to cover costs that fall outside those schemes entirely, such as missed connections, lost or delayed baggage, or emergency costs not linked to a qualifying delay. Always claim from the airline first, then use insurance to cover any remaining gap.
How to complain: a step-by-step guide
Claim from the airline first. Contact the operating airline (not the site you booked through, if different) as soon as possible. Provide your booking reference and flight details, and state clearly what happened and what you're asking for, whether that's a refund, rerouting, duty-of-care costs or compensation.
Keep a paper trail. Retain boarding passes, booking confirmations, receipts and screenshots of any delay or cancellation notifications. A clear, dated record of events significantly reduces the chance of your claim being rejected.
Use travel insurance for what the airline won't cover. Submit a separate claim to your insurer for costs outside the airline's responsibility, checking your policy wording for what's included.
Escalate if you're not satisfied. If the airline rejects your claim, or you disagree with the outcome, you don't have to accept it as final. For flights to or from the UK or EU, you can usually escalate to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider within 8 weeks of the airline's final response. The CAA publishes which ADR scheme each airline belongs to; if an airline isn't a member of one, you can complain to the CAA directly.
Flight Delays & Cancellations: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I complain about a delayed or cancelled flight?
Contact the airline that operated the flight directly, even if you booked through a third party, with your booking reference, flight details and a clear description of what you're claiming for.
How much compensation can I claim for a delayed flight in the UK?
Fixed compensation under UK261 ranges from £220 to £520 depending on flight distance and length of delay, provided the delay was within the airline's control and reached the qualifying threshold.
Does travel insurance cover flight delays and cancellations?
It can, but only for costs the airline isn't legally required to cover, such as missed connections or lost baggage. Always claim from the airline first.
What if the airline rejects my complaint?
You can usually escalate to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider within 8 weeks of the airline's final response, or complain directly to the CAA if the airline isn't part of an ADR scheme.
Is there a time limit to make a claim?
Compensation claims are subject to a statutory limitation period, so it's best to start the process as soon as possible after the incident. Check the CAA and Citizens Advice websites for the current time limits that apply to your claim.
Methodology
This analysis is based on airline passenger complaints data published by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), covering cases opened between Q2 2025 and Q1 2026. Complaint volumes for the same 10 airlines were compared against the prior 12-month period (Q2 2024–Q1 2025) to calculate year-on-year change.
The analysis also reviewed the number of complaints upheld in the passenger's favour and the average and total financial compensation awarded per airline, where this data was available. CAA flight and punctuality data for 2025 was used for additional operational context, such as Ryanair's complaint-per-flight ratio.
Figures reflect cases opened and awards made during the stated period and may not capture cases still under review at the time of publication. Rankings are limited to the 10 highest-volume airlines by complaint count and the 10 highest by average award, respectively; smaller carriers with very low case volumes can show high average awards due to the small sample size (see Royal Brunei Airlines, for example, with 10 cases).
