Time is precious and there’s nothing more frustrating than when an airport and/or airline steals it away from you with flight delays right at the start (or end) of a much-needed getaway.
Flight delays are the worst (unless there’s a good reason because we’d rather fly safely than not at all) and the Australian airport currently experiencing the most is… Sunshine Coast Airport.
According to findings by finder.com.au, the northeastern gateway had a delay rate of 31 percent last year, the highest among any Australian airport, with one in three flights or 7,684 services leaving the beach-side destination late.
One in three! Ouch.
The airport’s delay rates sat well ahead of any other Aussie airport, including Hobart Airport, which came in second place with some 4,800 flights running late in 2017.
Following Hobart’s gateway were airports on the Gold Coast and Launceston, with each experiencing some 24 percent in late services.
Of the major gateway, Sydney Airport had the highest flight delay rate of 20 percent last year, followed by Melbourne Airport at 18 percent.
On the flip side, Port Lincoln Airport in South Australia and Perth Airport had the most on-time services with only eight and 13 percent of domestic flights delayed.
While flight delays can be frustrating, Finder.com.au’s Travel Insurance Expert, Bessie Hassan, said that it’s important for flyers to remember that they’re rarely due to “a lack of airport infrastructure” but rather “the result of poor weather or congestion elsewhere”.
So stay calm, stay patient and eventually you’ll be up in the air.
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