These were the airlines UK passengers complained about most last year, new CAA data shows
February 9, 2026
New figures from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) reveal which airlines generated the highest levels of passenger dissatisfaction in the past year, measured by how often travellers escalated problems into formal complaints.
Using the regulator’s standardised metric of complaints per million passengers, the data shows a clear outlier among airlines serving the UK during the 2024–25 reporting period, which runs from April 2024 through March 2025.
Wizz Air tops UK complaint rankings
According to CAA statistics, Wizz Air recorded 918 complaints per one million passengers flown, the highest rate of any airline covered by Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) schemes in the UK last year. ADRs are bodies authorised by the UK government to handle unresolved complaints between passengers and airlines.
Because the measure adjusts for airline size, it provides a clear indicator of how frequently journeys result in unresolved disputes—rather than simply reflecting how many passengers an airline carries.
Other airlines with comparatively high complaint rates included:
- Air France–KLM – 301 complaints per million passengers
- Turkish Airlines – 265
- EgyptAir – 234
- TUI Airways – 223
- airBaltic – 221
Interestingly, major UK-focused carriers recorded lower complaint frequencies. British Airways registered 192 complaints per million passengers, while Ryanair and easyJet posted 188 and 147, respectively.
Complaint frequency and compensation tell different stories
The CAA data also highlights an important distinction: the airlines that attract the most complaints are not always those paying the most compensation.
Around half (47%) of Wizz Air’s complaints were upheld, resulting in roughly £1.5 million in passenger payouts over the year and average individual awards of £651.
By contrast, British Airways, despite a far lower complaint rate, paid £6.2 million in total compensation, with a significantly higher share of successful claims (83%) and larger individual awards (average £837).
In total, the ADRs handled 43,238 complaints during the year, of which 32,004 were adjudicated. Among the cases adjudicated, 6,875 were awarded to passengers and 17,346 to the air carrier. Airlines settled 7,778 cases independently. The average uphold rate (successful claims) for consumers was 57%, with £11,222,858 in total awards and an average award of £764.
A snapshot of passenger frustration in UK aviation
Taken together, the latest CAA statistics provide a regulator-backed view of where UK travellers encountered the most friction when flying last year.
They show:
- Wizz Air generated the highest complaint rate per passenger
- Despite their high traffic volumes in the UK, Ryanair and easyJet had significantly lower complaint rates
- Major UK airlines recorded lower complaint frequencies but, in some cases, higher total compensation payouts
| Airline | Complaints per million passengers | Complaints upheld | Average award (£) | Total compensation (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wizz Air | 918 | 47% | 651 | £1.5 million |
| Air France–KLM | 301 | 43% | £828 | £558,045 |
| Turkish Airlines | 265 | 51% | £718 | £129,967 |
| EgyptAir | 234 | 19% | £630 | £6,929 |
| TUI Airways | 223 | 20% | £722 | £296,070 |
| airBaltic | 221 | 52% | £617 | £9,254 |
| British Airways | 192 | 83% | £837 | £6.2 million |
| Ryanair | 188 | 28% | £694 | £1.8 million |
| easyJet | 147 | 18% | £630 | £473,423 |
For passengers choosing which airline to fly with, the CAA data provides one of the clearest independent indicators of both service reliability and the likelihood they will be compensated when travel plans go wrong.
Featured image: João Macedo / stock.adobe.com
