LGW to PVG flight delays
London (LGW) Shanghai (Pudong) (PVG)
1,403 flights · March 2025 – August 2026 · UK Civil Aviation Authority
91.64%
Arrived on time
Within 15 minutes of schedule
0.21%
Cancelled
Share of scheduled flights
—
When late, late by
Average across delayed arrivals
6 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 22.1 points more punctual than in July — 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.
This route does better than its own airport. Departures from LGW overall run 19.9 points less punctual than this particular one — so whatever congestion LGW has, this route is largely escaping it.
The two directions do not behave alike. PVG to LGW arrives on time 11 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.
Flights from London to Shanghai (Pudong) are among the most dependable in the record. A route this punctual is usually a short hop between airports with slots to spare.
Which airline should you fly on this route?
Over March 2025 – August 2026, China Eastern Airlines arrived on time most often on LGW to PVG. Air China was late most often. Flights ran closest to schedule in March and worst in July.
Every airline on LGW to PVG
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China Eastern Airlines | 899 | 91.77% | 0% | — | A |
| Air China | 504 | 91.42% | 0.6% | — | A |
Month by month
Share of flights that arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, by month flown.
The return leg
PVG to LGW Shanghai (Pudong) back to London 80.64% on time BOther routes from London
Common questions
Are flights from London to Shanghai (Pudong) usually delayed?
91.64% of flights on the LGW to PVG route arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, so roughly 1 in every ten arrived late. That is better than the average route in this record.
Which airline is most on time from London to Shanghai (Pudong)?
China Eastern Airlines, at 91.77% on time across 899 flights. The least punctual on the route was Air China at 91.42%.
How often are LGW to PVG flights cancelled?
0.21% of scheduled flights did not operate — about 2 in every thousand. That is in the normal range.
What is the best month to fly London to Shanghai (Pudong)?
March, when 97.8% of flights arrived on time. The worst was July at 75.7%.
What these figures do and do not tell you
Everything on this page is counted from the flights that actually operated on LGW to PVG 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 →