SunExpress Flight Delays and Cancellations: Today’s Updates

Nicolle Harwood-Nash

By:  Nicolle Harwood-Nash

Last Updated:  May 28, 2025

SunExpress Flight Performance: Delays, Cancellations & Its Impact on Passengers

In 2023 the airline carried a record 12.6 million passengers, and flight activity jumped about 17% in 2024 compared to the previous year. This translates to tens of thousands of flights annually, especially busy in summer.

How punctual are these flights? Recent data shows SunExpress’s on-time arrival rate (within 15 minutes of schedule) hovers around 83–84%, meaning roughly 1 in 6 flights arrives late. For context, that is better than some regional competitors (Pegasus had ~62% on-time in 2023) but still below pre-pandemic European averages. On UK routes specifically, SunExpress’s delays have been notable – in 2022 its departures from UK airports ran 33.7 minutes late on average, placing it among the slower carriers for punctuality that year.

SunExpress Delayed Flights

The majority of SunExpress delays are relatively short. Internal reports from airports show that typically 60–70% of SunExpress flights depart “on time” (within 15 min), and about 15–20% are modestly delayed (15–60 min). A smaller share experience serious delays over an hour (often due to knock-on effects of weather or air traffic issues).

For example, on one London–Antalya service, 54% of flights were delayed with an average of 32 minutes. Long delays of multiple hours are less common but do occur during peak disruptions (such as strikes or severe weather). Overall, SunExpress’s performance is roughly in line with Europe’s network average in 2023 (when about 71% of flights arrived on time and the rest were delayed) .

SunExpress Cancelled Flights

SunExpress cancels only a small fraction of its flights. During the busy summer months, cancellations were virtually nil – only about 0.1% of SunExpress flights from the UK were cancelled (just 2 out of 1,872 flights in a summer analysis). Across the full year and network, the cancellation rate has been a bit higher but still low: industry data show SunExpress completed about 97–98% of its scheduled flights, implying roughly 2% or fewer flights cancelled overall.

This strong completion factor means passengers can generally count on their flight operating as planned; it also earned SunExpress recognition as one of Europe’s more reliable leisure airlines. When cancellations do happen, they are usually due to extraordinary events (airport closures, strikes, etc.) rather than routine schedule cuts.

SunExpress Routes Prone to Disruption

Not all routes are equal when it comes to on-time performance. SunExpress’s flagship leisure routes from the UK and EU to Antalya – its main hub – tend to see the most delays, especially in peak season. Notably:

• London Stansted – Antalya: This route has been highlighted for above-average delays. Recent analyses showed 54% of Stansted–Antalya flights arrived late, with an average delay of about 32 minutes. Summer holiday traffic peaks and congestion at Antalya can push many flights beyond their schedule.
• Manchester & Birmingham – Antalya: UK regional departures to Antalya also “face frequent delays, especially during summer” acc. to AirAdvisor data. Birmingham in particular had the worst overall airport punctuality in the UK last year (average departure delay over 30 minutes), and SunExpress contributed to that figure with its Birmingham–Turkey services. Travelers flying from regional UK airports to Türkiye during school holidays should be prepared for possible schedule creep.
• Germany to Turkish Resorts: Routes like Frankfurt or Düsseldorf – Antalya/Izmir can experience delays due to heavy demand and European airspace bottlenecks. While specific figures are less public, SunExpress expanded strongly in the Germany-Türkiye market in 2023-24, which coincided with crowded skies. Some flights on popular German routes have seen nearly half of operations delayed on bad days (often due to external factors like air traffic control restrictions).

On the other hand, some routes benefit from more buffer and have relatively better on-time records – for example, SunExpress flights between major German hubs and Antalya in off-peak months often run on schedule or with minor delays. It’s the peak flows of tourists in summer and during holidays (Easter, etc.) that consistently test the airline’s timing. If your itinerary includes one of the known delay-prone routes (like UK–Antalya), it’s wise to build in extra connection time on the return or avoid same-day tight plans.

Key Rule of Thumb: For SunExpress, only flights that depart from an EU or UK airport are covered by EU261/UK261 compensation rules. Flights that start outside Europe or Britain, even if they land in Europe, are NOT eligible.

Popular SunExpress Routes Eligible for Compensation

Below is a list of popular SunExpress routes that depart from EU or UK airports, making them eligible for compensation under EU261 in case of qualifying disruptions:

On the other hand, flights depart from non-EU countries fall outside the scope of EU261/UK261:

Figuring out how much you are owed for a disrupted flight can be complicatedWe're here to help. Let us assess your compensation for you.Check Your Flight

Delay Hotspots: Which Airports See Issues More Often than Others

Certain airports in the SunExpress network stand out for higher disruption rates:

• Antalya Airport (AYT): As SunExpress’s home base and the gateway for countless tourists, Antalya can be a chokepoint. The airport is undergoing major expansion and construction, which has involved terminal changes and even relocating all international flights to a different terminal for winter 2024. These projects have led to terminal congestion and occasional boarding delays.
• Frankfurt Airport (FRA): Frankfurt is a key European station for SunExpress (it even hosts one of the airline’s headquarters). Ongoing construction at FRA (related to a new terminal development) has forced SunExpress to temporarily move its check-in counters in 2024.
• Regional UK Airports: Airports like Manchester (MAN) and Birmingham (BHX), which see seasonal SunExpress flights, have struggled with punctuality. In 2022 Birmingham had the poorest on-time record in the UK (only ~69% of flights left on time) , and Manchester was not far behind.

In positive news, some airports manage SunExpress flights very well. For example, SunExpress’s secondary Turkish hub at Izmir tends to be less congested than Antalya, and airports like London Gatwick or Amsterdam (where SunExpress operates limited services) have strong efficiency records. Nonetheless, the overall trend is that busy leisure airports under construction or heavy demand like AYT, FRA, and popular UK gateways see more delays for SunExpress.

Recent Disruptions and Causes to Note

SunExpress’s operations in Europe have faced the same external challenges plaguing many airlines. Understanding these issues can help passengers anticipate when trouble might strike:

• Air Traffic Control Strikes & Airspace Congestion: Europe has experienced a wave of ATC strikes, especially in France, which disproportionately disrupt flights. In 2023, delays caused by air traffic control strikes were four times higher than the year before. French airspace strikes alone led to one-third of flights being delayed or cancelled on strike days.
• Airport and Ground Staff Strikes: Strikes by airport workers have occasionally hit SunExpress’s schedule. A recent example was a one-day strike at Brussels Airport in April 2023 that forced SunExpress to divert its Brussels flights to Cologne for that day.
• Weather Events: Summer heatwaves and thunderstorms in the Mediterranean can slow down turnaround times or require longer flight routes. In winter, fog and snow in Europe or Türkiye can lead to holding patterns, diversions, or cancellations.
• Operational Incidents: There have been a few technical incidents (e.g. precautionary emergency landings for mechanical checks). These are statistically rare and SunExpress has a solid safety record, but they can contribute to delays.

Tips for Passengers

Given the above, what can flyers do? Firstly, plan for potential delays on SunExpress routes during peak periods – e.g. don’t schedule a tight onward connection the same evening. Check your flight status regularly on the day of departure; SunExpress provides updates via its website and notifications. If departing from airports under construction (like Antalya or Frankfurt), arrive extra early to navigate any terminal changes.

And importantly, know your rights: SunExpress flights to or from the UK/EU fall under passenger-protection laws. If you face a long delay (3+ hours) or a cancellation within 14 days of departure that is the airline’s fault, you could be entitled to compensation under EU/UK Regulation 261. You need to keep records of what happened and file a claim if eligible.

Check your flight

Overall, SunExpress delivers a robust network connecting Europe and Turkey with generally reliable service – its cancellation rates are very low and most flights do get you to the sun on time. But as a consumer, being aware of the higher-risk routes (like UK–Antalya) and external factors at play will help you plan smarter. During school holidays or known strike days, build in buffer time and pack some patience. The good news is that even when disruptions occur, SunExpress and its airport partners usually work to minimize the impact, and major meltdowns have been rare. By staying informed and prepared, travelers can take advantage of SunExpress’s extensive route network while mitigating the stress of any unexpected delays.

Sources: Official Civil Aviation Authority and Eurocontrol performance reports; Cirium on-time performance data; flight tracking analytics (Flightera); credible news outlets including The Independent, Reuters, and airline press statements.

Author:

Nicolle Harwood-Nash

Job/Position: Content Creator

An accomplished copywriter and editor with over 15 years of global experience in copywriting and editing.

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