1 week Ago By Evening Standard
British holidaymakers should expect flight delays this summer, European air traffic control bosses have warned. It comes as Easyjet saw a 41 per cent increase in flight delays in the first two months of this year, with bosses saying the surge in delays was a “worrying sign we are moving in the wrong direction”. Eurocontrol, the organisation overseeing European airspace, warned disruptions could surpass those of last year, which saw the worst delays since 2001.
Delays in summer 2024 were 47 per cent worse than in 2023, with staffing and capacity issues identified as the main causes. Steven Moore, head of air traffic management at Eurocontrol, said the increase in traffic during the summer posed a “significant challenge in a constrained network”. He explained that Europe has a highly interconnected network, where any issue escalates into a broader system-wide problem, The Times reported.
David Morgan, EasyJet's airline chief, said he could hardly recall a day without air traffic control staffing issues. He noted that delays were costing airlines an "eye-watering" amount, estimating losses in the hundreds of millions. “Everyone likes to talk about realistic schedules but it’s not always easy.
Airlines must adhere to a schedule or risk losing [landing] slots,” he told The Times. “Delays are getting worse. They are part and parcel of summer, but staffing delays should be exceptional.
Every year in peak summer we’re struggling with staffing.” The issues began during the pandemic when many air traffic controllers, a highly skilled workforce, chose early retirement. The situation has worsened because airline traffic rebounded faster than initially expected after the COVID shutdowns.
During the summer months last year, one in three flights arrived more than 15 minutes behind schedule. And an estimated 90 million passengers are expected to fly to or from UK airports between June and September this year. Jesus Garcia, the air navigation systems coordinator at Enaire, the Spanish air traffic management body, said more air traffic controllers were needed.
But Garcia admitted that training them takes two to three years, and recruitment is typically based on long-term planning rather than short-term demand. Garcia said the organisation was facing a “perfect storm” of issues, including increased weather phenomena, military action, and flight restrictions..
