Weather conditions and aircraft availability were among the reasons cited for British Airways flight delays after repeated late arrivals and departures.

An upsurge in demand after the Covid-19 pandemic coupled with the busy summer season were also said to have played a part in setbacks and cancellations across many carriers.

A comparison of LF Wade International Airport flight timetables with departure times listed on the FlightAware website suggested that in July, August and up to September 7, all BA flights left Bermuda at least a little later than originally scheduled.

Of the 69 inbound services by the carrier over the same period, the figures indicated that 58 landed later than was planned, ten were earlier and one was on time.

The original timetables published by the airport and its operator, Skyport, advised that schedules were subject to change without notice.

Differences in anticipated arrival or departure times varied from as little as a minute to two hours.

The data appeared to show that almost a third of the landings were at least an hour later than originally expected.

Of the 69 departures, 23 were an hour or more late to take off, including a service on August 8, which, according to FlightAware, left at 10.55pm — two hours later than the 8.55pm on the published flight schedule.

A spokeswoman for Skyport said: “While Skyport is responsible for the operation of LF Wade International Airport and not for specific airlines' performances, we can offer some insights that might be helpful to you.

“First, the delayed British Airways flight arrivals into Bermuda have been the result of several different factors, including air traffic control challenges in the UK, aircraft availability and weather, to name a few.

“Naturally, these delays would often affect the status of the return flights to the UK.”

She noted that when BA switched its Bermuda service from Gatwick to Heathrow — officially introduced in March 2021 — Skyport “anticipated the probability of flight delays could increase”.

The spokeswoman added: “Heathrow is the seventh-busiest airport in the world, and its complex scope of operations can contribute to flight abnormalities.

“However, this switch has undoubtedly brought about substantive benefits.

“It has provided greater connectivity for a larger number of passengers, thus contributing to the flight’s relatively strong performance to date.

“Furthermore, this summer, Bermuda, like many other destinations, has seen a rise in flight delays and cancellations amongst most carriers.

“This is a problem that affects the airline industry as a whole, driven mainly by limited crew and aircraft resources struggling to keep pace with the post-pandemic surge in travel demand.

“These challenges have only been exacerbated during the busy summer season.”

She advised contacting British Airways directly for specific data as well as reasons behind the delays, and added: “Skyport continues to work closely with each of our airline partners to ensure smooth operations at LF Wade International to the best of our ability.”

The Royal Gazette asked British Airways for information on how many of its arrivals to and departures from Bermuda were early, late or on time over the past few months.

Reasons for later touchdowns and take-offs were also requested as well as what the carrier was doing to try to reduce delays.

A BA spokeswoman responded: “We know how important it is for our customers to arrive at their destinations on time, and we do everything we can to make sure that happens.

“The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority and, like all carriers, we too can be affected by operational challenges and adverse weather conditions.

“When delays occur, our teams work hard to get customers on their way as quickly as possible.”