Flights out of Birmingham Airport had the longest delays in 2021, an analysis of Civil Aviation Authority data shows.
In 2021, aircraft departed Birmingham an average of 12 minutes and 24 seconds late, followed by Southampton, Heathrow, Exeter and Aberdeen.
The ranking takes into account all scheduled and chartered departures, but does not include canceled flights.
Birmingham said many delayed departures were able to make up time in the air.
This was due to a huge reduction in flight numbers due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A spokesman said the last year had been “a dark time for aviation”, adding that due to Covid, Birmingham Airport had been reduced to just a quarter of normal staffing and capacity.
But he said “massive reductions in air travel” meant “flights that departed late could be caught up en route”.
Birmingham serves long-haul destinations such as Dubai, Mexico, the Caribbean and the USA, as well as over 100 short-haul routes, and is the UK’s seventh busiest airport.
It houses bases for airlines such as Jet2.com, Ryanair and Tui Airways.
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The BBC reported in June that airport boss Nick Barton’s annual wages rose 49% from £399,000 to £595,000 last year, angering unions.
The increase comes after large-scale job cuts in the industry amid the pandemic, but the airport, which is partly owned by several of the region’s councils, said its senior staff had been paid in line with the market.
The airport was used by 12.6 million passengers in 2019 before the pandemic, but only 2.5 million last year.
The Press Association, which compiled the ranking, said on-time performance at all UK airports was better in 2021 than before the Covid crisis, due to the reduction in flights caused by travel restrictions.
Jo Rhodes, expert for consumer magazine Which? Travel said 2022 was “a very different story” as the sector struggled to cope with the surge in passenger numbers.
She continued: “Holidaymakers have endured numerous flight cancellations and unacceptably long queues at check-in, baggage drop and airport security.
She called for stronger powers for the Civil Aviation Authority, including the power to directly penalize airlines for breaking rules.
“Ministers should also drop their ill-conceived plans to cut compensation rates for delayed or canceled domestic flights,” she said.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps released a plan to combat flight disruptions last month.
These included encouraging airlines to ensure their flight schedules are “deliverable”, an amnesty for airport slot rules – allowing airlines to return their takeoff and landing slots without financial penalty – and allowing new aviation employees to work with the Training can begin before they pass security checks.
The government has also discussed expanding the enforcement powers of the CAA and changing the compensation rules for domestic flights.
Airlines including British Airways and EasyJet have canceled thousands of flights in recent weeks amid fears chaotic scenes will return at airports during the summer holiday season.
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