BELFAST's George Best Belfast City Airport has checked in as one of the top two performing UK airports for punctuality.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) figures analysed by the BBC data unit have revealed that, on average, flights leaving and arriving at the city airport were delayed by just 10 minutes.
The Belfast runway shared top honours with Leeds/Bradford in the study of British and Irish airlines flying to and from UK airports.
The worst delays were experienced by passengers at Gatwick Airport where planes departed or arrived an average of 27 minutes late.
Belfast International Airport ranked fourth worst, clocking an average 'lateness' report of 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, among the airlines, Aer Lingus was revealed as the most punctual, with an average delay of just 12 minutes, with its Irish rival, Ryanair, 15 minutes behind schedule on average.
Best performing UK airline was Flybe (13 minutes); followed by Monarch (15 minutes); and Jet2 (16 minutes), which were all slightly more punctual than tour-operator rivals, Thomson (17 minutes) and Thomas Cook (19minutes).
Katy Best, commercial and marketing director at Belfast City Airport, said staff were "delighted" with the punctuality report and also the fact that two of the airport's airlines had been recognised in the findings.
"As the Business in the Community 2017 'Responsible Company of the Year' in Northern Ireland, we are dedicated to providing excellent customer service to the 2.7 million passengers who travel through our airport each year," she said.
"We will continue working with all of our partners to ensure a smooth journey for our passengers – from arriving at the airport, to relaxing in the departures lounge, to boarding the aircraft."
George Best Belfast City Airport – last year was named the Most Convenient Airport in the UK and Ireland in a study by The Telegraph – has also recently introduced Airport Ambassadors to assist passengers through the terminal building, making their journey on the ground as "smooth and as enjoyable as possible".
