Holidaymakers flying from Birmingham have been hit by a sharp rise in scrapped flights this year.

New analysis of Civil Aviation Authority figures shows that 686 flights were cancelled at Birmingham Airport between January and June 2026.

That compares with 399 cancellations over the same six months of 2025, an increase of 287 flights, or around 72 per cent.

How does Birmingham compare with other UK airports?

The airport's cancellation rate climbed from 0.91 per cent to 1.53 per cent of scheduled flights.

That placed Birmingham sixth for cancellation rates among the 25 UK airports studied.

It is the speed of the rise, rather than the overall rate, that stands out.

Across all 25 airports, cancellations grew by 18.6 per cent, so Birmingham's increase was almost four times the national trend.

Nationally, 12,373 flights were cancelled in the first half of 2026, up from 10,435 a year earlier, while total flight numbers grew by less than one per cent.

Exeter recorded the highest cancellation rate at 5.27 per cent, followed by Southampton at 4.43 per cent.

The research was carried out by an aerospace tooling supplier using official aviation data.

What has Birmingham Airport said?

An airport spokesperson said airlines can cancel flights for many reasons, including operational problems and bad weather, some of which neither airlines nor airports can control.

The airport said it works closely with airlines to keep disruption to a minimum and pointed out that only around 1.5 per cent of scheduled flights were affected.

For the passengers on those flights, of course, the disruption was far from minor.

What are your rights if your flight is cancelled?

Under UK rules, if your airline cancels your flight you are entitled to choose a full refund or an alternative flight.

If you are rerouted and left waiting, the airline should also provide care such as food and, where needed, accommodation.

You may be owed extra compensation if you were told less than 14 days before departure, unless the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances such as severe weather.

Keep receipts and contact your airline first if things go wrong.

New flight routes from Birmingham in 2027

There is brighter news for travellers planning ahead.

easyJet has announced two new routes from Birmingham for summer 2027.

Flights to Milan Malpensa start on 29 March 2027, running twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, making easyJet the only airline offering that direct link.

A new route to Tivat in Montenegro, gateway to the Bay of Kotor, follows from 3 May 2027, flying on Mondays and Thursdays.

Whether you are booking now or flying soon, checking your airline's updates before you leave home remains the safest bet.

Image: Photo by Angelyn Sanjorjo on Pexels (illustrative).