Turbulent schedule: Which airlines suffered the most delays and cancellations in 2025?

It's been a unsmooth takeoff to 2025 for galore European aerial passengers.

The first 5 months of nan twelvemonth were marred by tens of thousands of delays and cancellations.

A caller study of Europe's 20 busiest airlines classed their performance, revealing which ones had nan astir turbulent starts.

Cancellations: Finnair, KLM and BA study worst rates

Dutch bearer KLM scrapped nan astir flights betwixt January and May (2,760), followed by British Airways (1,763) and Germany's Lufthansa (1,757), says nan study by formation compensation institution FlightRight.

Raw numbers aside, nan highest complaint of flights scrapped was connected Finnair: 3.35% retired of a full of complete 43,000 trips.

KLM is 2nd (2.04%), trailed by British Airways (1.58%), Ireland's Aer Lingus and Swiss International (1.29%).

Some of nan astir communal reasons for formation cancellations see terrible weather, operational issues, for illustration unit shortages aliases mechanical problems, arsenic good arsenic strikes and runway closures.

The comparatively caller Italian bearer ITA proved to beryllium 1 of nan astir reliable companies, pinch conscionable a azygous cancellation successful 2025. 

Turkish Airlines besides excelled, pinch only 3 flights called off, followed by LOT Polish Airlines (7) and Spain's emblem carrier, Iberia (12).

Delays: Portugal's Tap reports worst complaint successful Europe

Tap Portugal has had nan worst grounds successful 2025: a staggering 37% of its flights successful nan first 5 months landed astatine slightest 15 minutes late.

Ryanair had nan highest number of delayed flights overall: 77,000, followed by EasyJet astatine complete 26,600.

But they operated galore much flights than awesome airlines, truthful their likelihood of landing precocious is really lower.

Fewer cancellations but much delays successful 2025

Cancellations successful 2025 importantly decreased compared to past year, according to FlightRight information shared pinch Euronews.

The first 5 months of 2025 saw 32% less work suspensions, bringing nan full down to 0.61% of flights affected.

Last twelvemonth was peculiarly turbulent strike-wise, marked by business action astatine Lufthansa and aggregate aerial postulation controller strikes successful France.

So, is it each bully news? Not really. Delays really accrued by 54% successful 2025. In general, 16% of each flights from nan apical 20 European airlines were affected.

Severe upwind is mostly to blame. January saw awesome storms, for illustration Éowyn, bringing beardown winds and disrupting aerial traffic, particularly successful Ireland and nan UK, on pinch dense snowfall successful Germany.

On apical of that, a monolithic powerfulness outage deed Spain, Portugal and southwest France successful April, starring to respective airdrome closures.

Finally, aerial postulation measurement successful Europe grew by astir 3.7% successful early 2025 compared to 2024, according to EuroControl.

"This surge successful flights placed further unit connected aerial postulation power systems and airdrome infrastructures, starring to much congestion and delays," FlightRight commented.

What compensation tin you get successful lawsuit of formation disruption?

Air passengers successful nan EU are entitled to compensation if location is simply a hold of astatine slightest 3 hours.

The compensation is based connected nan formation region alternatively than nan summons price: €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for flights of complete 1,500 km wrong nan EU (or 1,500–3,500 km internationally), and €600 for flights of complete 3,500 km.

However, exceptions see bonzer circumstances for illustration aerial postulation power strikes aliases weather-related disruptions. No compensation is owed successful these cases.

Having said that, airlines are still required to thief retired passengers pinch replacement solutions for illustration rerouting aliases edifice accommodations.

At slightest 75% of rider claims to beryllium rejected nether caller plans

FlightRight, arsenic good arsenic BEUC - nan European Consumer Organisation - person criticised recent plans by nan Polish presidency of nan EU Council to alteration aerial rider rights.

FlightRight says nan existent connection would beryllium to summation nan hold period from 3 to 5 hours for flights ranging from 1,500 to 3,500 km, and to 9 hours for flights complete 3,500 km.

The related compensation would beryllium lowered to €300 and €500, alternatively of nan existent €250, €400 and €600.

Also, nan database of "extraordinary circumstances" mightiness beryllium expanded, including soul strikes and nan decease of unit members, exempting airlines from immoderate compensation successful "avoidable cases," FlightRight told Euronews.

The institution has warned that if nan connection were to pass, "between 75% and 85% of existent compensation claims will beryllium rejected."

When is nan connection expected to pass?

EU sources told Euronews that - aft 10 years of negotiations, nan Council is expected to o.k. nan connection connected 5 June.

If that happens, nan European Parliament will update its position connected 24 June.