Paddington*
15th May 2002, 15:52
'Heathrow's overcrowded runways and unpredictable weather have turned the airport into the second worst in Europe for delays, with more than a quarter of flights taking off at least 15 minutes late, according to the Association of European Airlines.
With a rate exceeded only by Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport, some 25.9 per cent of planes took off behind schedule during the first quarter of this year. The average delay among late flights was 38 minutes.
The main reason was air traffic control problems. This was followed by late arrival, aircraft handling problems, equipment failure and weather. The association said in the final quarter of 2001, Heathrow was the 13th tardiest airport in Europe.
While airports on the continent had improved, partly due to a fall in air traffic since September 11, Heathrow's performance remained static.
A spokeswoman for BAA, which operates Heathrow, blamed the problem on a lack of capacity. She said the building of terminal five would help.
Behind Charles de Gaulle and Heathrow in the waiting stakes were Istanbul, Amsterdam and Madrid. Vienna was the best airport for timekeeping, with only 12.9 per cent of flights delayed.'
As a comparison, the average delay to UK airports in 1998 was 16 minutes (and 14 in 1996). Average Heathrow delay was 14 minutes in 1998 and 16 at Gatwick. Birmingham averaged 8 minutes.
Not just time for Terminal 5, but for a new runway and even a new airport by the sounds of it.
With a rate exceeded only by Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport, some 25.9 per cent of planes took off behind schedule during the first quarter of this year. The average delay among late flights was 38 minutes.
The main reason was air traffic control problems. This was followed by late arrival, aircraft handling problems, equipment failure and weather. The association said in the final quarter of 2001, Heathrow was the 13th tardiest airport in Europe.
While airports on the continent had improved, partly due to a fall in air traffic since September 11, Heathrow's performance remained static.
A spokeswoman for BAA, which operates Heathrow, blamed the problem on a lack of capacity. She said the building of terminal five would help.
Behind Charles de Gaulle and Heathrow in the waiting stakes were Istanbul, Amsterdam and Madrid. Vienna was the best airport for timekeeping, with only 12.9 per cent of flights delayed.'
As a comparison, the average delay to UK airports in 1998 was 16 minutes (and 14 in 1996). Average Heathrow delay was 14 minutes in 1998 and 16 at Gatwick. Birmingham averaged 8 minutes.
Not just time for Terminal 5, but for a new runway and even a new airport by the sounds of it.