After 2024 delivered the worst air traffic performance in over 20 years, all eyes were on Summer 2025 to deliver improvements – but did it rise to the challenge? We explore the latest EUROCONTROL figures and what they reveal about the regional air sector.
Summer 2025 saw European skies buzzing again, as traffic across all airlines grew by 3.5% – a sign of strong demand and a continent on the move. ERA airline members, however, recorded a 0.8% drop in traffic, even as they averaged 1,152 flights a day in June. This shows that smaller regional carriers continue to battle operational challenges, making it difficult to grow their schedules as quickly as larger airlines.
Compared to the chaos of last year, delays across the European network did fall by almost a fifth. But ERA airline members only shaved off a modest 6.3%. Average delay per flight for ERA’s members still stands at 2.39 minutes, more than double the EU’s target of 0.9. And when delays do happen, passengers on these flights wait an average of more than 15 minutes.
So, where’s the problem? It’s everywhere. En-route delays and airport bottlenecks are choking the network. Marseille, Barcelona, Karlsruhe and Reims are hotspots in the skies, while Amsterdam, Athens and Lisbon top the ground-delay list. Industrial action was the real shocker: a 409% surge. Two days of strikes in France in July wiped out 200 flights and drove delays up 75% almost overnight.
Yes, weather disruptions dropped by 21% and staffing issues improved by nearly 15%, but these gains are overshadowed by structural problems in the way Europe’s skies are managed and controlled. Air traffic management and air traffic control remain fragmented, under-staffed and in need of urgent modernisation.
Short flights, big consequences
Here’s the harsh truth: a 15-minute delay doesn’t mean the same thing for every airline. On a three-hour flight, it’s a minor annoyance. On a 70-minute regional hop, it’s chaos. That delay eats up more than 20% of the journey. It means missed connections, unhappy passengers, extra costs, and zero room for error in already tight schedules.
Regional carriers don’t have the deep resources of big network airlines. Every cancelled or delayed flight lands harder, both on the airline, on passengers, and on the communities relying on those connections. They also have smaller fleets and fewer spare aircraft. A single delay or cancellation can ripple through the entire schedule, leaving no room for recovery.
Delays aren’t just frustrating; they’re damaging. Re-routing around congested airspace burns more fuel, drives up emissions and undermines Europe’s climate goals. And let’s not forget geopolitics. The ongoing war in Ukraine continues to distort traffic flows and add pressure on already stretched systems.
The time for reform is now
The numbers tell us Europe’s aviation system is still failing its regional airlines. Traffic is growing, but resilience is not. Delays are easing, but not for everyone. Communities that depend on air links are paying the price for inefficiency, strikes, and outdated infrastructure.
As Montserrat Barriga, ERA’s Director General puts it: “While 2025 shows improvement over last year, Europe’s ATC performance remains unacceptable despite Network Manager intervention.
“Delays in 2024 were the worst on record for over 20 years, a 7% reduction in delays since the start of the Summer 2025 season clearly shows that the system needs less fragmentation, more staffing and urgent modernisation. Without structural reform, regional connectivity and the communities that depend on it, will remain at risk.”
Bold action is needed: more controllers to mitigate chronic staffing delays, faster deployment of technological solutions, and less fragmentation – regional connectivity will keep being sacrificed. Europe can’t afford to let its smaller cities and regions be left stranded.