{"id":209104,"date":"2025-06-24T01:22:14","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T01:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/209104\/"},"modified":"2025-06-24T01:22:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T01:22:14","slug":"around-two-thousand-flights-canceled-and-delayed-across-europe-as-lufthansa-klm-british-air-france-emirates-qatar-american-ryanair-air-india-and-more-hit-by-new-severe-weather-disruptions-at","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/209104\/","title":{"rendered":"Around Two Thousand Flights Canceled and Delayed Across Europe as Lufthansa, KLM, British, Air France, Emirates, Qatar, American, Ryanair, Air India, and More Hit by New Severe Weather Disruptions at Heathrow, Frankfurt, Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, and Other Airports"},"content":{"rendered":"

Home<\/a> \u00bb AIRLINE NEWS<\/a> \u00bb Around Two Thousand Flights Canceled and Delayed Across Europe as Lufthansa, KLM, British, Air France, Emirates, Qatar, American, Ryanair, Air India, and More Hit by New Severe Weather Disruptions at Heathrow, Frankfurt, Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, and Other Airports <\/p>\n

Monday, June 23, 2025<\/p>\n

\"Europe,<\/p>\n

Severe weather has crippled air travel across Europe, leading to nearly two thousand flight delays and cancellations as strong winds, heavy rain, and violent thunderstorms swept through major hubs including Heathrow, Frankfurt, Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, and beyond. Airlines such as Lufthansa, KLM, British Airways, Air France, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Ryanair, American Airlines, Air India, Swiss, and easyJet were among the most heavily impacted, with many forced to cancel routes, ground aircraft, and reroute operations due to unsafe flying conditions. The combination of crosswinds, lightning risks, and low visibility brought some runways to a standstill and created a ripple effect across both short-haul and international networks. The scale and spread of disruption not only overwhelmed airport logistics but also left thousands of passengers stranded or scrambling to rebook, highlighting just how fragile Europe\u2019s aviation system becomes when extreme weather strikes multiple key regions simultaneously.<\/p>\n

London Heathrow Battles Strong Winds and Logjams<\/p>\n

At London Heathrow<\/strong>, delays dominated the day as powerful crosswinds buffeted the airfield. The airport reported 212 delayed flights<\/strong> and 9 cancellations<\/strong> by the afternoon. British Airways<\/strong>, based at Heathrow, faced the most significant operational impact. Over 100 BA flights<\/strong> were delayed, with 6 grounded altogether<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

But the turbulence wasn\u2019t limited to just one airline. Lufthansa<\/strong> and KLM<\/strong> reported combined delays across a dozen flights. Air France<\/strong>, Etihad Airways<\/strong>, and Qatar Airways<\/strong> each noted partial delays on their routes. Transatlantic carriers weren\u2019t spared either \u2014 United Airlines<\/strong>, American Airlines<\/strong>, and Delta<\/strong> all experienced setbacks, with connecting passengers missing transfers due to the logjam.<\/p>\n

Other carriers impacted included Singapore Airlines<\/strong>, Swiss<\/strong>, Virgin Atlantic<\/strong>, TAP Air Portugal<\/strong>, Iberia<\/strong>, Gulf Air<\/strong>, and Asiana Airlines<\/strong>, some experiencing up to 50% disruption<\/strong> on their scheduled operations. Even regional and cargo players like Loganair<\/strong> and Bringer Air Cargo<\/strong> were forced into reroutes or holding patterns.<\/p>\n

Frankfurt Sees Chaos as Germany\u2019s Largest Hub Struggles to Stay Afloat<\/p>\n

Further east, Frankfurt International Airport<\/strong> reported a nearly identical total: 347 delays<\/strong> and 9 cancellations<\/strong> \u2014 nearly crippling the day\u2019s operational flow. Lufthansa<\/strong>, headquartered at Frankfurt, took a major hit, with more than 150 delayed flights<\/strong> and disruptions spread across its subsidiaries, including Lufthansa Cityline<\/strong> and Air Dolomiti<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Additional airlines facing setbacks included Swiss<\/strong>, Qatar Airways<\/strong>, Etihad<\/strong>, Royal Jordanian<\/strong>, and Singapore Airlines<\/strong>. Smaller carriers such as Smart Lynx<\/strong>, Vietnam Airlines<\/strong>, and Air Astana<\/strong> saw complete disruption of their limited scheduled flights, some canceled and others returned to gates due to unsafe flying conditions.<\/p>\n

By afternoon, Delta<\/strong>, United<\/strong>, and Emirates<\/strong> were all reporting rebookings and diversions. Oman Air<\/strong>, Croatia Airlines<\/strong>, and TAP Air Portugal<\/strong> were among those operating on delay-heavy skeleton schedules. For some, delays exceeded three hours, with weather radar charts indicating no immediate relief.<\/p>\n

Storms Disrupt Berlin Brandenburg<\/p>\n

Over in Germany\u2019s capital, Berlin Brandenburg Airport<\/strong> registered 105 delays<\/strong> and 6 cancellations<\/strong> as heavy thunderstorms made departures unpredictable. Lufthansa<\/strong> and easyJet<\/strong>\u2014both operating significant fleets at BER\u2014faced prolonged delays due to lightning strikes and temporary ground stops.<\/p>\n

International carriers like Air France<\/strong>, KLM<\/strong>, Swiss<\/strong>, Qatar Airways<\/strong>, Royal Jordanian<\/strong>, and United Airlines<\/strong> also dealt with hour-long holdups. City Airlines<\/strong>, LOT Polish Airlines<\/strong>, and Air Cairo<\/strong> reported up to 100% impact<\/strong> on their operating schedules. Icelandair<\/strong> and BA CityFlyer<\/strong> were also among the affected.<\/p>\n

Delays reached such a critical point that Berlin\u2019s air traffic controllers coordinated outbound routing manually to prevent runway gridlocks, particularly for smaller and mid-sized carriers.<\/p>\n

Munich Becomes the Eye of the Storm<\/p>\n

If Frankfurt was the epicenter of disruption in central Germany, Munich<\/strong> was the eye of the storm. The airport recorded 348 delays<\/strong> and 20 cancellations<\/strong>, making it the worst-affected European airport for the day. Lufthansa Cityline<\/strong> and its parent company, Lufthansa<\/strong>, experienced up to 40% of their flights delayed or canceled<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Other badly hit airlines included Air France<\/strong>, Swiss<\/strong>, Brussels Airlines<\/strong>, and Air Baltic<\/strong>, which saw up to 50% schedule disruption<\/strong>. The thunderstorm grounded Gulf Air<\/strong>, Thai Airways<\/strong>, and Oman Air<\/strong> for multiple hours. Croatia Airlines<\/strong>, Helvetic<\/strong>, and Air Europa Express<\/strong> had to cancel some services altogether.<\/p>\n

Eurowings<\/strong>, KLM<\/strong>, and TUI<\/strong> all reported delays and inbound diversions, with some evening services rebooked for the next day. Ground handlers and ramp agents faced wind warnings that made regular pushbacks temporarily unsafe.<\/p>\n

Amsterdam Schiphol Grapples With Strong Gusts<\/p>\n

The winds sweeping through the Netherlands battered Amsterdam Schiphol Airport<\/strong>, resulting in 247 delays<\/strong> and 27 cancellations<\/strong>. KLM<\/strong> recorded over 100 delays<\/strong>, most affecting its European short-haul services. Some inbound flights were diverted to nearby airports in Belgium and northern Germany.<\/p>\n

Air France<\/strong>, Delta<\/strong>, United<\/strong>, JetBlue<\/strong>, and Qatar Airways<\/strong> also saw ripple effects. Regional airlines like BA CityFlyer<\/strong>, Croatia Airlines<\/strong>, Sky Express<\/strong>, and KM Malta Airlines<\/strong> noted widespread delays or rescheduled flights.<\/p>\n

Carriers like TAP Air Portugal<\/strong>, Vueling<\/strong>, Air China<\/strong>, Malta MedAir<\/strong>, and Etihad<\/strong> also saw modest disruptions. In many cases, aircraft were held at the gates for extended periods as pilots awaited safe takeoff windows.<\/p>\n

Charles de Gaulle Logs Hundreds of Delays<\/p>\n

France\u2019s main aviation gateway, Paris Charles de Gaulle<\/strong>, recorded 276 delays<\/strong> and 7 cancellations<\/strong>. At the core of this disruption was national carrier Air France<\/strong>, which faced over 130 delayed flights<\/strong> as its network spiraled due to the storm.<\/p>\n

Other airlines affected included easyJet<\/strong>, Delta Air Lines<\/strong>, Emirates<\/strong>, American Airlines<\/strong>, and Qatar Airways<\/strong>. Regional services from Nouvelair<\/strong>, Cyprus Airways<\/strong>, and Kenya Airways<\/strong> were grounded or delayed by hours. Royal Jordanian<\/strong>, Middle East Airlines<\/strong>, and XiamenAir<\/strong> were among those seeing up to 100% delay rates<\/strong> for their scheduled slots.<\/p>\n

The ground situation was made worse by strong wind bursts that temporarily shut down multiple runways, forcing inbound traffic into holding patterns.<\/p>\n

Dublin Hit Hard by Gusty Winds<\/p>\n

In Ireland, Dublin International Airport<\/strong> was plagued by relentless wind. The airport logged 128 delayed flights<\/strong> and 15 cancellations<\/strong>, a large share of which came from Emerald Airlines<\/strong> (13 canceled flights alone).<\/p>\n

Aer Lingus<\/strong>, Ryanair<\/strong>, and British Airways<\/strong> all experienced multi-hour delays. Transatlantic carriers like United<\/strong>, American Airlines<\/strong>, and Delta<\/strong> pushed back ETAs by up to three hours.<\/p>\n

International airlines like Etihad<\/strong>, Qatar Airways<\/strong>, KLM<\/strong>, Swiss<\/strong>, Finnair<\/strong>, and WestJet<\/strong> faced disruption across both short and long-haul routes. Even niche players like Hainan Airlines<\/strong>, Lauda Europe<\/strong>, and City Airlines<\/strong> had to delay or ground aircraft entirely.<\/p>\n

Manchester Airport Faces Disruption Wave<\/p>\n

At Manchester Airport<\/strong>, the wind caused 110 delays<\/strong> and 3 cancellations<\/strong>. Jet2<\/strong> led the disruption tally with 26 delayed flights<\/strong>, while easyJet<\/strong> followed closely with 36 delays<\/strong>. Etihad Airways<\/strong> and Air France<\/strong> reported over 75% of services affected<\/strong> on key European routes.<\/p>\n

Other disrupted carriers included Ryanair<\/strong>, Corendon Airlines<\/strong>, TUI Airways<\/strong>, Qatar Airways<\/strong>, Aegean Airlines<\/strong>, and Air Canada<\/strong>. Regional airlines like KLM<\/strong>, Luxair<\/strong>, and Helvetic<\/strong> also scrambled to reconfigure afternoon schedules to avoid crew time-outs.<\/p>\n

Birmingham International Weathered With Delays<\/p>\n

In Birmingham, 72 flights were delayed<\/strong> and 4 canceled<\/strong>. The most significant impacts were reported by Jet2<\/strong>, easyJet<\/strong>, TUI Airways<\/strong>, and Emerald Airlines<\/strong>, which logged multiple delayed services.<\/p>\n

International carriers including Emirates<\/strong>, Qatar Airways<\/strong>, KLM<\/strong>, Sun Express<\/strong>, and Wizz Air Malta<\/strong> saw reduced frequencies or heavily delayed afternoon departures. Delays averaged between 20 and 40 minutes<\/strong>, though some long-haul services were postponed beyond two hours.<\/p>\n

Dusseldorf Disrupted by Crosswinds<\/p>\n

Dusseldorf International Airport<\/strong> registered 123 delayed flights<\/strong> and 3 cancellations<\/strong>, mostly due to unstable wind patterns. Eurowings<\/strong> was the most heavily impacted, with 43 delays<\/strong>, followed by Lufthansa<\/strong>, Condor<\/strong>, and Sun Express<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

International carriers such as Qatar Airways<\/strong>, Royal Jordanian<\/strong>, Swiss<\/strong>, Pegasus Airlines<\/strong>, and Middle East Airlines<\/strong> all faced disruptions, many reporting over 30% of schedules impacted<\/strong>. Aegean Airlines<\/strong>, Finnair<\/strong>, and Corendon<\/strong> also saw measurable service degradation throughout the day.<\/p>\n

Final Disruption Totals Across Europe<\/p>\n