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Can You Guess Which Belfast Airport Has Been Revealed as the ‘Most Reliable Airport’?
AS we kick off the new year, holidaymakers are searching for their next getaway, with Google searches for “flights for Christmas” spiking by +697% in the past month. Alongside this, there were over 49,000 searches for “Christmas travel”, an increase of 69%, signalling a surge in demand for travel over the 2024 festive season.
However, with the usual Christmas and January travel rush comes the stress of delayed and cancelled flights. According to the Civil Aviation Authority, UK airports had an average flight delay of 16 minutes in 2024 - an improvement on last year’s average of 21 minutes but still a concern for those hoping to enjoy a stress-free getaway. Travel Republic has revealed the UK’s
most punctual airports - just in time to help you plan your perfect Christmas getaway and help make holiday journeys a little less stressful.
1. Belfast City (George Best) crowned the UK’s most reliable airport
For anyone looking to avoid the usual Christmas travel stress, Belfast City is reported as the most reliable and efficient airport. With only 3.62% of flights cancelled and an average delay of just 12.56 minutes, Belfast City is crowned first place for reliability. Impressively, 7.5% of flights were recorded to be more than 15 minutes early, while only 4.0% were delayed by 1-2 hours.
2. London City is the UK’s second most punctual airport
Renowned for its efficiency, London
City Airport secures second place with a cancellation rate of 4.04%, equating to 2,039 flights cancelled. With an average delay of 13.49 minutes and just 3.9% of flights experiencing delays of 1-2 hours, London City is a promising contender for festive travellers – not to mention those who like arriving ahead of schedule – with 7.4% of flights arriving more than 15 minutes early!
3. Teesside International Airport takes third place for its dependability
Teesside Airport impresses with its third- place ranking, recording a low cancellation
rate of 3.83%, translating to 112 cancelled flights. With an average delay of 14.41 minutes, Teesside is a dependable airport for festive travellers. With 3.9% of flights arriving more than 15 minutes early, while only 3.5% were delayed by 1-2 hours, travellers will likely appreciate Teesside’s punctuality this Christmas. 4. Liverpool John Lennon is the fourth- most reliable airport in the UK Boasting one of the lowest cancellation
rates at 1.19%, with just 372 flights cancelled and an average delay of 14.78 minutes, Liverpool John Lennon Airport lands fourth place. Liverpool’s strong performance makes it a smart choice for travellers seeking reliability during the busy Christmas season, as 4.3% of flights are more than 15 minutes early, while only 4.4% experienced delays between 1 and 2 hours.
5. East Midlands International takes fifth place for punctuality
East Midlands has the lowest cancellation rate, at just 0.52%, meaning only 113 flights
were cancelled. With an average delay of 15.58 minutes and 7.1% of flights arriving more than 15 minutes early, East Midlands ranks fifth in overall punctuality. It is an excellent choice for those seeking a hassle- free airport experience during the Christmas season.
Gemma Brown, Head of Product at Travel Republic added: “To ensure a stress-free travel experience during the busy festive season, it’s a good idea to arrive at the airport 2–3 hours before domestic flights and 3–4 hours before international trips. This allows extra time for potential delays, especially if security lines are longer than usual. “It’s also a good idea to keep your documents organised, ensuring your passport meets entry requirements and your boarding passes are easily accessible, helping to speed up check-in and boarding times. To avoid surprises and additional fees, it’s also wise to familiarise yourself with your airline’s luggage policies in advance, including size, weight, and any restricted or prohibited items that cannot be packed in carry-on or
checked luggage.”
L&J Travel Win Big for Small Non-Retail Agency at 10th Annual Jet2holidays Conference
L&J Travel have scooped the award for Sliver Top Small Non-Retail Agency at the 10th Annual Jet2holidays conference.
The 10th Annual Jet2 Conference is taking place at
the Athena Royal Beach Hotel in Paphos, Cyprus. On the 27th of November, the Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony took place where L&J were celebrated as the Silver Top Small Non-Retail Agency. Commenting on their win, L&J Travel said “Our
first conference was back in 2017 we were won VIP tickets to attend… and we have won an award every year since our first attendance” They continued, “We are buzzing [with our award]. We have the best team of girls and we support Jet2holidays through and through.”
JF Travel Celebrates Win at 10th VIP Jet2holidays Conference
NORTHERN Irish Travel Agency, JF Travel, were celebrated at the Jet2holidays 10th VIP conference, held in Paphos, Cyprus. JF Travel were awarded Top Travel Agency
for Northern Ireland at the 10th VIP Jet2 Conference. JF Travel currently operate two stores in Coleraine and Magherafelt, with a third set to open in Ballymena at the end of December. Jonny Fielding, Director of JF Travel, stated, “What an achievement! This win wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of the team and our loyal clients.” Jonny continued, “This win makes us even more optimistic about the opening of our brand new store in Ballymena .”
Emirates Unveils First New Aircraft Type to Join Fleet Since 2008
January 2025
‘Up to 100 Security Officers’ Expected to Join Dublin Airport for 2025
DUBLIN Airport has announced plans to add up to 100 new security officers to its staff as it gets ready to improve standards for passengers even further in 2025.
As a record year at Dublin Airport comes to an end, airport operator daa is already gearing up for the coming 12 months and is inviting applications for a number of permanent full time roles. The positions offer a starting salary of €17.47 per hour,
access
to a pension scheme, good career progression opportunities, subsidised staff meals and exclusive discounts in the airport.
Security staff numbers have been increasing steadily at Dublin Airport over the past three years as demand to travel through the airport has climbed to all-time highs. Adding lots of great people to the team has resulted in passenger satisfaction scores reaching record levels – and daa is focused on improving those happiness levels even further in 2025. According to Gary McLean, Managing Director of Dublin Airport: “Dublin Airport is one of the most interesting and rewarding places to work. This is a particularly exciting time to join Dublin Airport, as we continue to improve the passenger experience. Passenger satisfaction scores in 2024 have been at record high levels and that’s down to the hard work of the incredible team that we have working here at Dublin Airport. The addition of these new security staff members will help improve the service we offer to passengers even more in 2025.” As Dublin Airport has ambitious
plans to improve facilities, services, and the overall passenger experience at Dublin Airport, while growing the capacity
of the airport sustainably
from 32 million passengers to 40 million per year, now is an exciting time and excellent opportunity for prospective candidates to join the airport team.
EMIRATES has officially unveiled the very first Airbus A350-900 to join its fleet at an exclusive event showcase in
Dubai. The Emirates A350 is
the first new aircraft type to join Emirates’ fleet since 2008. The Emirates A350 features three spacious cabin classes, accommodating 312 passengers in 32 next-generation Business Class lie-flat seats, 21 Premium Economy seats and 259 generously pitched Economy Class seats. The latest onboard products reflect the airline’s commitment to delivering a premium passenger experience while optimising operational efficiency. The airline plans to make its first scheduled commercial A350 flight to Edinburgh on 3 January 2025. In the months to follow, customers can look forward to experiencing the Emirates
A350 in existing GCC points like Bahrain, Muscat and Kuwait, Lyon and Bologna in Europe, and Colombo, Mumbai and Ahmedabad in West Asia in addition to new travel opportunities that are up to 15 hours from Dubai – to be announced in 2025. Apart from its newly delivered
A350, Emirates operates two other aircraft types around the world to 140 destinations – the widebody Boeing 777 aircraft and the iconic ‘double decker’ Airbus A380 aircraft. The A350’s introduction will
enable Emirates to expand into new destinations globally, including mid- sized airports unsuited for larger aircraft. The Emirates A350 will be delivered in two versions – one for regional routes and one for ultra long- haul routes.
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