Ryanair reveals EU countries with worst air traffic control delays

Ryanair has revealed the EU countries with the worst air traffic control delays for its flights.

The airline giant launched its “League of Delays” table today, listing the EU nations whose air traffic controls have caused most disruption to Ryanair flights from Wednesday, January 1 to Monday, May 26 this year.

Ryanair claimed that “record” air traffic control delays were recorded in 2024, despite there being 5 percent fewer flights compared to pre-Covid years.

The airline said this was due to mismanagement and being short staffed. It claimed the lack of staff especially impacted the first wave of morning flights.

Despite air traffic control delays soaring last year, Ryanair claimed ATC fees to airlines and passengers rose by double the rate of inflation ( up by 35 per cent since Covid).

The airline has long campaigned for air traffic control services to be properly staffed, however, claimed the EU Transport Ministers have failed to take action.

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Delays refer to Ryanair flights and passengers from Jan 1 to May 26. (Image: Ryanair) The firm has encouraged customers to voice their own complaints directly with their national Transport Minister.

Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said: “Our ATC ‘League of Delays’ exposes Europe’s worst ATCs for delays due to mismanagement and staff shortages from Jan to May 2025. We will hold EU Transport Ministers responsible for allowing such unnecessary and avoidable ATC delays to repeatedly occur.

“National ATCs are made aware of airline schedules almost 12 months in advance, so there is no reason for them not to adequately staff up to manage this traffic. This is especially important for the first wave of morning flights as any morning delays knock on to flights throughout the rest of the day.

“Fixing Europe’s ATC staff shortages as well as protecting overflights during national ATC strikes would eliminate 90 percent of EU’s ATC delays but Transport Ministers won’t take any action.

“Ryanair calls on passengers to visit the ‘Air Traffic Control Ruined Your Flight’ webpage to demand that their national transport ministers take action to properly staff their national ATC services and avoid record ATC flight delays this summer.”