CAA Data Shows Most Complained About UK Airlines
•February 9, 2026
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Why It Matters
High complaint volumes expose operational weaknesses that can erode consumer trust and trigger regulatory scrutiny, while airlines’ remediation investments signal a shift toward service reliability.
Key Takeaways
- •Wizz Air leads complaints with over 10,000 cases
- •Wizz's upheld rate 47%, costing £1.5 million
- •British Airways upheld 83% of 192 complaints
- •EasyJet only 18% upheld, 147 complaints total
- •Wizz invests £12.5bn, claims 99.8% completion 2025
Pulse Analysis
The CAA’s latest complaint figures provide a rare benchmark of passenger dissatisfaction across the UK market, highlighting that low‑cost carriers still dominate the grievance landscape. Wizz Air’s position at the top reflects the pressures of ultra‑low‑fare models, where tight cost structures can compromise punctuality, baggage handling and boarding procedures. Yet the airline’s £12.5 billion Customer First Compass Initiative suggests a strategic pivot: investing heavily in operational resilience to curb future claims and protect its brand reputation.
Regulators and consumer groups are watching these trends closely because upheld complaints trigger mandatory compensation under EU261‑style rules. Airlines with high upheld rates—British Airways at 83% and Air France at 43%—face larger payout liabilities, which can affect profitability and stock performance. Conversely, carriers such as easyJet and Ryanair, with lower upheld percentages, demonstrate that stricter internal dispute handling can mitigate financial exposure, even when complaint volumes remain moderate.
For travelers, the data underscores the importance of understanding rights to compensation and the varying likelihood of successful claims across carriers. While Wizz Air’s recent performance metrics—99.8% flight completion and a 14.23% on‑time improvement—signal progress, the sheer volume of complaints suggests systemic issues remain. Industry observers anticipate that continued investment in technology, crew training, and customer‑first initiatives will become differentiators in a market where passenger experience increasingly drives loyalty and revenue growth.
CAA Data shows most complained about UK airlines
Data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has unveiled the most complained about airlines operating from the UK and top of the list may, or may not surprise you.
In the months from Mid 2024 to Spring 2025 the CAA says that it received over 43,000 complaints about UK airlines ranging from denied boarding and late operations through to lost luggage.
Topping the list was Hungarian ultra low cost carrier (ULCC) Wizz Air, which operates with a UK Subsidiary Wizz Air UK. With over 10,000 complaints the carrier the result meant that for every million passengers they carried, over 900 complained.
As almost half of all the complaints were upheld, Wizz Air was forced to pay almost £1.5 million in compensation to passengers.
Wizz Air A321neo
Air France and Turkish Airlines made up the top three on the list with complaints totaling 301 and 265 respectively.
Holiday airline Tui Airways UK (TUI) came in 5th place with a total of 223 complaints being recieved of which only 20% were upheld. However the average award for those complaints was one of the highest in the list.
The next British airline in the list was British Airways (7th place) which received 192 complaints in that period, although their upheld rate was much higher with 83% upheld.
Irish budget airline Ryanair also featured in the top 10 sitting just behind British Airways in 8th place. The Dublin based carrier received 188 complaints in the period but on 28% of them were upheld.
Rival easyJet rounded out the top 10 with the low-cost carrier getting 147 complaints with just 18% of those upheld.
In response to the findings, Wizz Air said it was investing heavily in improving its performance and customer experience through its Customer First Compass Initiative, a £12.5bn investment.
A spokesperson for the airline said: “This investment is already delivering results. In 2025, our UK flight completion rate was 99.8% – one of the best in the entire industry, while our on-time performance also improved by 14.23% compared to 2024.“
Airline
No of Complaints
Upheld Rate
Average Award
Wizz Air
918
47%
£651
Air France
301
43%
£828
Turkish Airlines
265
51%
£718
Egypt Air
234
19%
£630
TUI Airways UK
223
20%
£722
Air Baltic
221
52%
£617
192
83%
£837
188
28%
£694
Air Portugal
171
37%
£662
easyJet
147
18%
£630
Ryanair Boeing 737-800 (Image: UK Aviation Media)
So what are your rights to compensation?
If you are denied boarding or your flight is cancelled then you are entitled to compensation as follows.
Length of flight
Length of disruptions
Compensation
short-haul flight of under 1,500km (e.g. Glasgow to Amsterdam)
Arrive 2 hours or more later at final destination
£220
short-haul flight of under 1,500km (e.g. Glasgow to Amsterdam)
Arrive less than 2 hours later at final destination
£110
medium-haul flight of 1,500km – 3,500km (e.g. East Midlands to Marrakesh)
Takes off more than 2 hours before your original flight, and arrives 3 or more hours later at final destination
£350
medium-haul flight of 1,500km – 3,500km (e.g. East Midlands to Marrakesh)
Takes off 2 hours before your original flight, and arrives less than 3 hours later at final destination
£175
long-haul flight of over 3,500km (e.g. London to New York)
Arrive 4 hours or later at final destination
£520
long-haul flight of over 3,500km (e.g. London to New York)
Takes off less than 1 hours before your original flight, and arrives less than 4 hours later at final destination
£260
The post CAA Data shows most complained about UK airlines appeared first on UK Aviation News.
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