Airlines blame European air traffic control for flight delays and cancellations
Europe's major airlines have denounced the lack of air traffic control capacity on the continent, which is causing a majority of flight delays and cancellations. They are calling on the European Commission to take urgent action.
"So far this summer, European airlines have been forced to delay or cancel thousands of flights, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers," the umbrella organisation Airlines for Europe (A4E) said in a statement on Monday.
A4E says that in terms of air traffic control performance in Europe, 2023 has been "one of the worst years in the last two decades". But in the week from 8 to 14 July, delays were 68 per cent higher than a year earlier, it said.
Capacity constraints and air traffic control staffing problems are responsible for 53 per cent of these delays. A4E, which represents airlines including Ryanair, Lufthansa, IAG and Air France-KLM, is calling on European Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra to take "urgent action".
Staff shortages and climate change
European air traffic control has been facing staff shortages for some time. The closure of Russian airspace to European aircraft, climate change and sometimes extreme weather conditions are putting additional pressure on the system. According to the International Air Transport Association, 30 per cent of delayed flights in Europe last year were due to bad weather, up from 11 per cent in 2012.
A4E has been campaigning for years for major air traffic reform, known as the Single European Sky. Launched 20 years ago, the project aims to make air traffic across the continent less dependent on national borders, but it continues to face resistance from some countries.
© PHOTO FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP
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