European airlines caution of summer travel delays due to air traffic control problems

(MENAFN) European airlines have raised alarms that air traffic control restrictions, compounded by adverse weather conditions, pose a significant threat to summer holiday travel for millions of passengers. Data from Eurocontrol, the agency responsible for managing European airspace and coordinating national air navigation service providers, revealed that only 56 percent of flights in Europe departed on time during the first week of July. This disruption was attributed to a combination of poor weather and stringent air traffic control measures.

In June, passengers endured 4.7 million minutes of cumulative flight delays, representing a nearly one-third increase compared to the previous year, according to Eurocontrol. The impact of these delays was felt acutely at major hubs such as London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports. Ryanair reported on Friday that “excessive flight delays caused by a shortage of European air traffic control staff” had delayed 24 percent of its flights, affecting 135 out of its 574 aircraft on that day. The airline emphasized that these issues were not isolated, but affected all European carriers.

Ourania Georgoutsakou, managing director of Airlines for Europe, the industry’s trade body, expressed serious concerns about the high number of delayed flights, noting the alarming trend in recent months. The situation has been exacerbated by increasing pressure on European airspace, as airlines deploy more aircraft to meet the soaring demand from a post-pandemic travel boom. The air traffic control network is further strained by a shortage of controllers, adverse weather, and the closure of large portions of European airspace due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Eurocontrol reported an average of 33,671 daily flights in Europe in June, marking a 5.2 percent increase year-on-year as airlines ramped up capacity to accommodate the surge in travel demand. However, the combination of these factors has created a challenging environment for maintaining timely flight operations, raising concerns about the reliability of summer travel schedules for millions of travelers.