The year 2025 brought contradictory news for air travelers in Europe. Flight cancellations dropped compared to 2024. But punctuality remained a stubborn problem. Nearly one in three flights departed late across the continent.
Flightright is an air passenger rights portal. Its recent analysis showed Europe's overall delay rate stood at 32.22%. The figure was slightly better in Germany, but it was still high. About one in four flights faced delays there, which is around 25%.
Regional Variations Highlight Reliability Gaps
Flight reliability varied across Europe. Finland had the highest number of flight cancellations at 1.75%. Strikes caused most of these. Helsinki Airport recorded the highest rate at 1.85%. Amsterdam followed at 1.49%. Brussels was at 1.26%.
Portugal fared worst regarding punctuality. Its national delay rate was 41.60%. Lisbon Airport led European airports with a 46.82% delay rate. Manchester followed at 40.50%. Dublin was next at 40.15%.
Flightright described 2025 as a "year of contradictory developments." Cancellations improved, but delays showed little progress. The persistent one-in-four delay rate in Germany continues to disrupt travel plans.
Low-Cost Carriers Under Fire
Airlines across Europe showed mixed results. KLM had the highest flight cancellation rate at 2.28%. Air France followed at 1.41%. British Airways had 1.17%. Lufthansa improved: it reduced its cancellation rate from 2.88% in 2024 to 0.84% in 2025.
Low-cost carriers drew criticism for delays. EasyJet topped the list. 42.55% of its flights were delayed. Ryanair followed at 40.68%. British Airways was at 39.39%. Flightright noted that nearly half of EasyJet and Ryanair flights departed late. This hurts air passenger planning certainty.
Lufthansa performed better with a 23.33% delay rate. This still means one in four flights was late. But the airline did better than many rivals.
Underlying Causes and Hopes for 2026
The aviation sector faced multiple challenges in 2025. These included staff shortages, high capacity use, IT failures, drone sightings near airports, and extreme weather.
Experts want investments in modern processes and strong infrastructure for 2026. Attention focuses on the ongoing revision of the EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation. Critics warn against proposed changes. For example, requiring longer delay thresholds for compensation could weaken protections. Compensation amounts have stayed the same for two decades. Yet ticket prices and inflation have risen. Calls for updates to these fixed rates are growing.
Europe’s skies remain busy. Air passengers hope 2026 brings smoother journeys and stronger rights.
