PVG to LHR flight delays
Shanghai (Pudong) (PVG) London (LHR)
398 flights · January 2025 – August 2026 · UK Civil Aviation Authority
82.44%
Arrived on time
Within 15 minutes of schedule
1.26%
Cancelled
Share of scheduled flights
—
When late, late by
Average across delayed arrivals
13 min
Delay per flight
Averaged over every flight flown
What the record says about this route
The season swings this route hard. In May it ran 35.4 points more punctual than in March — 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 route has been getting better. The later months in the record run 15.2 points more punctual than the earlier ones, which usually means a schedule that was too tight has been given more room.
The two directions do not behave alike. LHR to PVG arrives on time 5.7 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.
This is a thin route — 398 flights across the whole period. On a route this infrequent a cancellation is far more costly than the rate suggests, because the next departure may not be the same day.
Which airline should you fly on this route?
Over January 2025 – August 2026, British Airways arrived on time most often on PVG to LHR. China Eastern Airlines was late most often. Flights ran closest to schedule in May and worst in March.
Every airline on PVG to LHR
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 | 221 | 81.74% | 0.9% | — | B |
| British Airways | 177 | 83.33% | 1.69% | — | B |
Month by month
Share of flights that arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, by month flown.
The return leg
LHR to PVG London back to Shanghai (Pudong) 88.13% on time AOther routes from Shanghai (Pudong)
Common questions
Are flights from Shanghai (Pudong) to London usually delayed?
82.44% of flights on the PVG to LHR route arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, so roughly 2 in every ten arrived late. That is better than the average route in this record.
Which airline is most on time from Shanghai (Pudong) to London?
British Airways, at 83.33% on time across 177 flights. The least punctual on the route was China Eastern Airlines at 81.74%.
How often are PVG to LHR flights cancelled?
1.26% of scheduled flights did not operate — about 13 in every thousand. That is in the normal range.
What is the best month to fly Shanghai (Pudong) to London?
May, when 91.9% of flights arrived on time. The worst was March at 56.5%.
What these figures do and do not tell you
Everything on this page is counted from the flights that actually operated on PVG to LHR during January 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 →