GB News presenter Miriam Cates has shared her frustrating experience at Gatwick Airport, which has been named the UK's worst for delays.
Speaking on GB News, Miriam revealed: "A few weeks ago, I had to take a flight. After I checked in, I was walking through duty free and I got a text from the airline saying my flight had been delayed by 14 hours."
Her morning flight was rescheduled for the middle of the night, forcing her to make alternative arrangements.
The situation worsened as she attempted to leave. "It took me three hours to get out of the airport and get my bag back as I couldn't find anyone to help me," she said.
Miriam Cates spoke on GB News
PA / GB NEWS
The compensation offered to Miriam for her ordeal was minimal. "I got a text from the airline saying, 'so sorry about the delay - here's £6.05 to spend at the airport'," she explained.
She was unimpressed with the token gesture. "I could buy half a coffee with that!" she remarked.
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Almost 60 airlines fly from London Gatwick AirportGETTY IMAGESHer experience appears to reflect wider issues at Gatwick, which she referenced directly: "I have to say, Gatwick being the UK's worst airport for delays for the second year in a row did not surprise me."
The presenter's comments come as new data confirms Gatwick's poor performance record.
According to data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Gatwick has retained its position as the UK's worst airport for flight delays for the second consecutive year.
Departures from the West Sussex airport were an average of more than 23 minutes behind schedule in 2024.
Miriam Cates shared her horrific ordeal on GB News
GB NEWS
This represents an improvement from the nearly 27-minute average delays recorded in 2023, but still ranks as the longest wait time at any UK airport.
A Gatwick spokesperson attributed the delays to "air traffic control restrictions in other parts of Europe" that have continued to impact the airport.
They added: "Together with our airlines, we've put in place a robust plan to improve on-time performance further in 2025."
Birmingham Airport recorded the second poorest punctuality record last year, with an average delay of more than 21 minutes.
Manchester Airport followed in third place with passengers waiting an average of 20 minutes from their initial flight departure time.
At the other end of the spectrum, Belfast City Airport was named the most punctual for the second year running, with average flight delays of less than 12 minutes.
The analysis, conducted by PA news agency, examined scheduled and chartered departures from 22 commercial UK airports with at least 1,000 outbound flights in 2024.
Overall, the average delay across all UK airports was 18 minutes and 24 seconds, an improvement from 20 minutes and 42 seconds in 2023.
