As Easter and summer fast approach many will be thinking of jetting away to catch some long-awaited rays. Travelling by plane is the fastest and most efficient way to get around the world, but every now and then find themselves faced with unexpected bumps along the way. One of the most common issues passengers seem to face is lost or delayed luggage. Few travel experiences are more stressful than standing at an empty baggage carousel, realising your luggage hasn't arrived, provoking a feeling of dread and worry.

"Lost luggage can turn a dream holiday into a nightmare," says Dawn Morwood, co-director of

She said: "Understanding which airports have higher rates of luggage issues can help travellers better prepare and potentially avoid problems."

While there is little that can be done to avoid this unfortunate situation, new research has revealed that there are some where lost or damaged luggage is a common occurrence.

To help passengers make informed decisions about which airport to fly from, Cheap Deals Away has analysed complaint data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), along with passenger volume figures to identify which UK airports present the highest risk for lost luggage. The analysis examined the top five airports with the highest number of lost luggage complaints and calculated a 'Luggage Loss Risk Score' based on the number of complaints relative to the number of passengers visiting each airport.

The UK airport most likely to lose your luggage is Birmingham, which scored a maximum 100 on the luggage loss risk scale. Despite handling only 2,477,000 passengers in 2021 (just 3.8% of all UK air travellers), Birmingham recorded 23 lost luggage complaints, giving it the highest loss rate of 0.0093 per thousand passengers.

"Birmingham's position at the top of this list may surprise many travellers," notes Dawn. "While it handles fewer passengers than the major London hubs, its disproportionately high complaint rate suggests significant challenges in its baggage handling systems."

Coming second on the list is London Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport. Having carried over 40 million passengers in 2023 the major hub scored 88 for luggage loss risk. Gatwick processed 6,260,000 passengers (9.7% of UK air travellers) but received 51 luggage complaints, resulting in a loss rate of 0.0081 per thousand passengers.

Dawn believes "compressed schedules can sometimes lead to baggage handling challenges, especially during peak travel periods".

Rounding up the top three is Manchester Airport with a risk score of 60. Serving as the primary international airport for northern England, Manchester handled 6,083,000 passengers in 2021 and recorded 34 lost luggage complaints, giving it a loss rate of 0.0056 per thousand passengers.

Dawn says: "Manchester has faced well-documented staffing challenges in recent years," says Morwood. "When airports operate with fewer ground handling staff than needed, baggage systems become strained, increasing the likelihood of mishandled luggage."

Birmingham Airport, London Gatwick Airport and Manchester Airport have all been approached by The Express for comment.

Coming in fourth and fifth respectively was London Heathrow, the busiest airport in Europe in 2024, and London Stansted: