IF you feel like you're spending more time waiting for your flight to take off than actually enjoying your holiday this summer, you might not be far wrong.
Because flights are more likely to be delayed during the summer months according to a pilot – but it's not just down to bad weather or strikes.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner pilot Charlie Page told The Points Guy: "The summer holidays bring increased demand for flights and with that comes inevitable problems."
And that's before you factor in any industrial action or weather issues.
As the day goes on, delays are only going to get worse.
Air traffic control issues, missed gate slots and plane rotations delays can all impact flight times – here's what you need to know:
Technical issues
If there's a fault with the aircraft, there will obviously be delays – but airlines have procedures in place to try and reduce the likelihood of this happening.
One of these is the Minimum Equipment List (MEL).
Charlie explained that all planes have a MEL and everything on the list must be present for the plane to take off.
For example, a Boeing Dreamliner has eight wheels with eight brakes, but the plane is allowed to take off if there's a minimum of six of these working.
But even though the plane is allowed to fly for its next journey, it can have a knock on effect.
The crew will need to report the issue and any broken brakes will have to be fixed the next time it comes in for maintenance.
If there are too many problems, dispatchers can choose to ground the plane.
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