LGW to IST flight delays
2,247 flights · March 2025 – August 2026 · UK Civil Aviation Authority
73.04%
Arrived on time
Within 15 minutes of schedule
0.31%
Cancelled
Share of scheduled flights
—
When late, late by
Average across delayed arrivals
14 min
Delay per flight
Averaged over every flight flown
What the record says about this route
The season swings this route hard. In April it ran 33.3 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. IST to LGW arrives on time 6.6 points more 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 2 points — close enough to call a tie. Choose on price and departure time.
Flights from London to Istanbul run late more often than the average route, though not severely.
Which airline should you fly on this route?
Over March 2025 – August 2026, Wizz Air UK arrived on time most often on LGW to IST. Turkish Airlines was late most often. Flights ran closest to schedule in April and worst in September.
Every airline on LGW to IST
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 | 1,659 | 72.66% | 0.36% | — | C |
| Wizz Air UK | 585 | 74.36% | 0% | — | C |
| Corendon Airlines | 2 | 0% | 50% | — | — |
| easyJet | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | — |
Month by month
Share of flights that arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, by month flown.
The return leg
IST to LGW Istanbul back to London 79.65% on time BOther routes from London
Common questions
Are flights from London to Istanbul usually delayed?
73.04% of flights on the LGW to IST route arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, so roughly 3 in every ten arrived late. That is worse than the average route in this record.
Which airline is most on time from London to Istanbul?
Wizz Air UK, at 74.36% on time across 585 flights. The least punctual on the route was Turkish Airlines at 72.66%.
How often are LGW to IST flights cancelled?
0.31% of scheduled flights did not operate — about 3 in every thousand. That is in the normal range.
What is the best month to fly London to Istanbul?
April, when 87.4% of flights arrived on time. The worst was September at 54.1%.
What these figures do and do not tell you
Everything on this page is counted from the flights that actually operated on LGW to IST 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 →