The company’s efficient operation model and focus on charge control makes it one of the leading low-cost carriers.

However, as with many other reasonably priced airlines the company is prone to frequent flight delays. In 2023, easyJet had delayed 1105 flights delayed and 1,857 cancellations. Easyjet currently tops the list of the least punctual airlines.

That said, the study of the data is conducted constantly to further improve the situation for passengers and improve the carrier’s operation.

In this article, we’ll analyse easyJet's flight delay pattern and what can be done to enhance the company’s trustworthiness.  

 

Understanding Flight Delays

Flight delay refers to any deviation from a stated schedule. This means both arrivals and departures count. The general criteria to classify the events are the following:

  • Duration

Minor delays are defined as up to 15 minutes from the schedule, moderate ones last from 15 minutes to an hour, and a major delay is every deviation for over 60 minutes.

  •  Reason

Flight delays are caused by various circumstances and their nature is another criterion to classify the delay.

Among the common causes are:

  •  Air traffic control problems, which may be caused by air traffic restrictions, congestions, or airspace closures.

  •  Operational issues due to logistical complexities, handling present delays, or crew problems.

  •  Unexpected aircraft maintenance. Some technical problems that require an urgent fix often lead to a flight delay.

  •  Weather conditions also contribute significantly to hindered flight operation, resulting in delays.

Any breach of the airline operation impacts the carrier, passengers, and the aviation ecosystem in general. Understanding the outcome is important for all parts of the process to minimise possible damage and, in the case of airlines, reputational losses.

Considering the multilevel consequences a single delay may cause, passengers’ issues seem to be the easiest to fix compared to carriers and the whole system. We at Skycop keep a close eye on the industry to ensure every passenger gets timely compensation with our help. So how do delays affect passengers?

  • The stress of the interrupted travel may be significant, especially if passengers are trapped at the airport without basic services or needed information.

  • Financial losses and disrupted plans. The delay may affect you financially and lead to significant overspending if your travel plan is quite tight.

Consciences for an airline may include:

  • Increasing in operational costs due to more fuel consumption, crew overtime, or an airport’s penalties for slot violation.

  • Regulatory issues. Frequent delays may lead to fines for breaching the regulatory requirements for on-time operations.

  • Reputational losses. For any air company, loyal clients are the basis of successful performance, so striving for seamless operation is understandable. In case of delays, companies suffer from strained relations with the loyal clientele, which results in financial damage.

The whole aviation industry experiences consequences as well; flight delays significantly hinder airports’ operations and pose challenges for air traffic control, affecting airspace capacity.

 

EasyJet's Flight Delay Patterns

Budget airlines seem to be leading in numbers when taking industry statistics for flight delays. What are likely the most contributing factors for easyJet?

The first thing to mention is the overall number of flights the company conducts daily. The more aircraft are in operation, the higher the possibility of any issues. Furthermore, being a large-scale carrier, easyJet operates in many busy airports, which also leads to some schedule issues.

Operational challenges play their role as well; a low-cost airline may experience staff shortages, a busy real-time problem-solving schedule, and maintenance emergencies. Cost-efficiency is the key point in the operation of low-cost airlines which, while bringing price benefits for passengers, also poses multiple challenges for carriers. EasyJet is no exception.

The very common reason for a flight delay is similar for all types of carriers. Weather conditions affect easyJet’s flying schedule regularly, and, as reported by various sources, in 2023 flight delays number peaked in summer due to abnormal heat.

EasyJet suffers from all the same reasons for delays as other companies do. While airlines with newer fleets may experience fewer hindrances due to aircraft technical issues, they are still prone to weather and air traffic-caused delays.

At the same time, the ratio of disrupted to on-time flights also depends on the size of the carrier. Being one of the largest airlines in Europe, easyJet demonstrates bigger numbers than small-scale companies.

 

Mitigating Flight Delays

What measures does easyJet take to address causes of delays in their control? And what causes are solvable by the airline?

  1. Proper scheduling and planning. With the impressive number of flights operated daily, a meticulous approach to scheduling them is essential. EasyJet employs the latest technologies to successfully manage its operation which should result in a reduced number of delays.

  2. Flexibility. The company opts for rerouting flights and adjustment of departure times to manage the fleet in operation and cause minimal disturbances for passengers.

  3. In-facility operation improvement. Departure delays may happen due to an unorganised onboarding process as well, and easyJet constantly works on improvements in this area.  

  4. Timely fleet maintenance. EasyJet cares for airline reliability and strives to address technical problems beforehand to reduce last-time issues.

As a well-established carrier, easyJet is dedicated to constant improvement and innovation to maintain seamless operation and minimise possible damage that might happen due to uncontrollable issues.

 

Conclusion

Flight delays are inevitable in general, no matter the scale of the carrier or airport functioning. Some of the causes for delays can’t be addressed immediately, and all airlines can do is take measures to facilitate the outcome for passengers. EasyJet constantly improves its services to achieve the best results in operation and retain its loyal clients.