How often are flights between London and Cape Town on time?

86.2% of 1,523 flights were on time (within 15 minutes) over the last 12 months of UK Civil Aviation Authority figures, and 0.5% were cancelled.

Which airline is most punctual between London and Cape Town?

Virgin Atlantic Airways, with 92.4% on time. British Airways was the least punctual at 84.2%.

LHR to CPT

London to Cape Town flights

Name: London to Cape Town (LHR-CPT) flights: on-time record
Creator: TripStow
License: https://tripstow.com/notices

Flights from London Heathrow (LHR) to Cape Town (CPT) cover 9,681 km. 1,523 flights flew between them in the last 12 months of UK Civil Aviation Authority figures; 86% were on time across 2 airlines.

1,523

flights, August 2025 to July 2026

86%

on time (within 15 min)

0.5%

cancelled

+12 min

average delay

Both directions together. On time means within 15 minutes of schedule, counted over every scheduled flight to and from the UK airport, including cancelled ones (the CAA's definition).

Airlines on this route

Airline	Flights	On time	Cancelled	Average delay
British Airways	1,153	84%	0.3%	14 min
Virgin Atlantic Airways	370	92%	0.8%	8 min

Month by month

Over the last 12 months, London and Cape Town ran best in October 2025 (93.5% on time) and worst in July 2026 (80%).

Share of flights on time, by month (UK Civil Aviation Authority). Green is the best month, orange the worst.

See the figures

Month	On time	Cancelled	Flights
August 2025	82%	0%	62
September 2025	90%	0%	60
October 2025	93%	0%	107
November 2025	82%	0.5%	198
December 2025	87%	0.5%	205
January 2026	87%	0%	212
February 2026	88%	0%	192
March 2026	86%	0.5%	207
April 2026	84%	2%	98
May 2026	89%	0%	62
June 2026	87%	0%	60
July 2026	80%	3.3%	60

Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority punctuality statistics, August 2025 to July 2026. Contains UK Civil Aviation Authority data. Figures describe the past and do not predict a future flight.

Questions and answers

How often are flights between London and Cape Town on time?: 86.2% of 1,523 flights were on time (within 15 minutes) over the last 12 months of UK Civil Aviation Authority figures, and 0.5% were cancelled.
Which airline is most punctual between London and Cape Town?: Virgin Atlantic Airways, with 92.4% on time. British Airways was the least punctual at 84.2%.
What is the best month to fly between London and Cape Town?: Over the last 12 months, London and Cape Town ran best in October 2025 (93.5% on time) and worst in July 2026 (80%).

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