Air traffic across Europe remained busy through the first week of October, with flight numbers returning and sometimes exceeding pre-pandemic levels, according to Eurocontrol.
However, delays due to weather and staffing shortage, has put a strain on efficiency in operations and punctuality across European airlines.
Eurocontrol’s review recorded 33,560 average daily flights in the week from the 29 September to the 5 October, 2% above in 2019 and 4.8% above in 2024 also that same week.
Despite the yearly growth, air traffic fell slightly by 2.1% from September, marking the beginning of the autumn season slowdown of flight activity.
Across Europe’s Major Airports, Punctuality Declines
Punctuality for flights across Europe worsened slightly over the week. Arrival times were 70.1% which was 3% lower compared to 2024. Departure times were a similar story, as the first week of October saw a 64.4% in departure punctuality which has decreased by 2.9% from last year.
Compared to the same week in 2019, both arrival and departure punctuality were also worse by 8.6% and 9.5% respectively.
There were several factors involved for these numbers as Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and other airports were strongly affected by the weather during the week, with the arrival of Storm Amy impacting the airport with strong winds over the weekend.
Palma airport experienced issues and delays due to weather disruptions as well.
ATC capacity and staffing regulations caused daily delays at Athens and Nice airports.
Airlines Leading the Growth and Decline in Europe aerospace
The top 10 busiest Aircraft operator have been recorded by Eurocontrol to have slightly lower numbers of flights than previous weeks. Seven out of the top ten airlines saw a 1-3% decrease, while airlines like easyJet Wizz Air and Turkish Airlines saw little to no change.
It is projected that mid-October shows a similar set up as the top 4 airlines have a decline in their flights, but airlines such as Air France, Wizz Air, KLM, British Air, SAS and Eurowings (who have taken Vueling’s spot at 10th place) see slight increases in daily flights, at a range from 0.6%-11.2%.
Compared to 2024 and 2019, a majority of airlines recorded more flights, such as Ryanair, Wizz Air and Turkish Airlines reported to a 4%-20% increase last year and a 23%-51% increase since 2019.
Eurocontrol’s updated 2025-2031 traffic forecast, due to come out later this month, will outline how European aviation aims to maintain growth and improve network stability through the winter and into the 2026 summer.
What do you think about Eurocontrol’s report on Europe’s air traffic? Let us know in the comments below.
