LHR to MAD flight delays
6,372 flights · March 2025 – August 2026 · UK Civil Aviation Authority
77.97%
Arrived on time
Within 15 minutes of schedule
0.82%
Cancelled
Share of scheduled flights
—
When late, late by
Average across delayed arrivals
11 min
Delay per flight
Averaged over every flight flown
What the record says about this route
The season swings this route hard. In February it ran 22 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 is one of the heavily flown routes in the record — 6,372 flights in the period. Frequency is itself a form of insurance: when a flight goes wrong there is another one within hours, which is not true of the thin routes elsewhere on this site.
The 2 airlines here are separated by under 1 point — close enough to call a tie. Choose on price and departure time.
The London to Madrid 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, British Airways arrived on time most often on LHR to MAD. Iberia was late most often. Flights ran closest to schedule in April and worst in July.
Every airline on LHR to MAD
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iberia | 3,875 | 77.94% | 0.67% | — | C |
| British Airways | 2,495 | 78.01% | 1.04% | — | C |
| BA Euroflyer | 2 | 100% | 0% | — | — |
Month by month
Share of flights that arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, by month flown.
The return leg
MAD to LHR Madrid back to London 79.88% on time BOther routes from London
What these figures do and do not tell you
Everything on this page is counted from the flights that actually operated on LHR to MAD 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 →