IST to LGW flight delays
2,248 flights · March 2025 – August 2026 · UK Civil Aviation Authority
79.65%
Arrived on time
Within 15 minutes of schedule
0.09%
Cancelled
Share of scheduled flights
—
When late, late by
Average across delayed arrivals
10 min
Delay per flight
Averaged over every flight flown
What the record says about this route
The season swings this route hard. In March it ran 35.7 points more punctual than in September — a difference bigger than the one between the best and worst airlines on most routes. If the date is flexible, it is worth more than the carrier.
The two directions do not behave alike. LGW to IST arrives on time 6.6 points less often than the outbound. Delay accumulates through the flying day, so whichever direction is scheduled later tends to carry the worse record — which is an argument for booking the morning departure if the choice exists.
The 2 airlines here are separated by under 5 points — close enough to call a tie. Choose on price and departure time.
The Istanbul to London route sits close to the middle of the record — neither notably punctual nor notably late.
Which airline should you fly on this route?
Over March 2025 – August 2026, Turkish Airlines arrived on time most often on IST to LGW. Wizz Air UK was late most often. Flights ran closest to schedule in March and worst in September.
Every airline on IST to LGW
Ranked by how many flights each one operated. A carrier with fewer than 100 flights in the period is listed but not graded.
| Airline | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish Airlines | 1,660 | 80.88% | 0.12% | — | B |
| Wizz Air UK | 587 | 76.32% | 0% | — | C |
| Corendon Airlines | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | — |
Month by month
Share of flights that arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, by month flown.
The return leg
LGW to IST London back to Istanbul 73.04% on time CCommon questions
Are flights from Istanbul to London usually delayed?
79.65% of flights on the IST to LGW route arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, so roughly 2 in every ten arrived late. That is about the same as the average route in this record.
Which airline is most on time from Istanbul to London?
Turkish Airlines, at 80.88% on time across 1,660 flights. The least punctual on the route was Wizz Air UK at 76.32%.
How often are IST to LGW flights cancelled?
0.09% of scheduled flights did not operate — about 1 in every thousand. That is in the normal range.
What is the best month to fly Istanbul to London?
March, when 95.4% of flights arrived on time. The worst was September at 59.7%.
What these figures do and do not tell you
Everything on this page is counted from the flights that actually operated on IST to LGW during March 2025 – August 2026, as reported by the airlines to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics. "On time" is the federal definition: arriving at the gate within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.
A route's record is a description of the past, not a forecast. Weather, air traffic control and the aircraft's earlier flights that day drive most delays, and none of them are predictable from a historical rate. What the record does tell you is whether this route runs late more often than others, and which carrier on it has the better history — which is the part you can actually act on when you book.
Cancellations are counted separately from delays because they are a different problem for a traveller: a late flight still gets you there. How the grade is calculated →