Running late for a flight? Here's when the plane will wait for you
If you've ever found yourself having to run for a flight you might have had a single question running through your mind: "will the plane wait for me?"
It's a scenario that's been faced by thousands of travellers currently navigating Europe's new entry and exit system (EES), which has caused hour-long queues and plenty of missed flights since it was fully implemented in April.
The new rules have gradually been introduced since October 2025, but have caused such significant delays in some instances that even airlines have now called on them to be scrapped.
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Passengers have faced delays and missed flights during the EES rollout in Europe. Getty
In early April, more than 120 EasyJet passengers were left stranded at Milan Linate Airport after lengthy delays caused them to miss a flight to Manchester.
So how does an airline decide whether to wait for connecting passengers or when to leave them behind?
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Tash Heap is a Lecturer in Aviation at the University of Southern Queensland and tells nine.com.au there are a raft of things taken into consideration when making that call.
"There is more chance of an airline holding a flight for you as a passenger if you are connecting from one of their own flights," Tash explains.
"This is because the airline knows about you. You are in their system."
Young businesswoman looking control panel at airport Getty
But even if that is the case, there are many more things the decision will depend on.
"Airlines are in the business of moving passengers, and their needs are considered," she says. "However, there are many other competing needs, not the least of which are all the other passengers the airline is trying to serve on that day."
Here, Tash breaks down all the things an airline will take into consideration before deciding to hold a flight.
Other passengers
Tash says the needs of the other several hundred passengers on the departing flight need to be taken into account.
"All passengers like to depart and arrive at their destinations on schedule. Those passengers may also have connecting flights at the other end," she explains.
"Delaying a flight for a small number of passengers to join may result in larger problems downstream."
Delaying a flight for a few passengers could cause more problems down the line. Getty
Slot time
Major airports are so busy with arrivals and departures that sometimes landing and departing planes are only a few minutes apart.
"As such, airlines are allocated 'slot times'," Tash says.
"This is the time they need to either be departing or arriving. If the airline holds a departing flight for a few connecting passengers, they will miss their slot time.
"This can have a lasting flow on effect and result in either further delay while a later time is organised which can have significant impacts on the airlines entire network."
Network and scheduling needs
Because airlines naturally want to keep their planes flying as much as possible, schedules for each individual aircraft can be tight, according to Tash.
This means a significant delay in one departure will have a flow-on effect on the scheduling of that aircraft for its next sector.
"This can be less of a concern for an ultra-long haul flight," she says, "but shorter domestic routes (think Sydney – Brisbane) or shorter international routes around Europe where after an aircraft arrives and all the passengers disembark there may only be 30 or so minutes before its next flight.
"If the previous flight was delayed by 30 minutes, that means the next flight will also be late."
A lot goes in to scheduling flights. iStock
Airlines will also look at their overall network structure and timetable.
"Airlines on the regional routes in Australia may only fly to certain destinations two to three times per week. As such, an airline may hold the aircraft so those passengers aren't disrupted or stranded," Tash says.
As they are generally smaller planes, it means only a small number of passengers are impacted.
Flight and duty limits of pilots and cabin crew
The pilots in particular are subject to strict limits on how long they can be on duty – at work – to manage fatigue levels.
If there is a delay to departure, the pilots are still "at work" – and their available hours start counting down.
There are strict limits in place for how long pilots and cabin crew can work. Getty Images/iStockphoto
"This can be a problem particularly on domestic and shorter-haul international, where the aircraft you are boarding is being operated by crew that have already done a flight or two that day," Tash continues.
"It is not uncommon for pilots to fly four sectors in a day. The crew may be due to stop work at the end of the next sector or at the next destination.
"If they are delayed, they may not have enough hours left in their duty period to complete the flight legally."
Airport curfews
"A delay in departure may mean that the aircraft cannot reach its destination before that airport closes. There are significant fines to airlines if they land at airports under curfew," Tash says.
Regulatory and consumer obligations
In some regions, like the EU, airlines can be fined for delayed (and cancelled) flights.
"The airline would be weighing up the cost of the delay vs how many connecting passengers are impacted, etc."
