During the first three months of the year, flights were on average 14.5 minutes late in Europe, announced the European airspace manager Eurocontrol on Monday. This is the worst result for a first quarter in five years.
In the first quarter of 2022, the average flight delay was less than ten minutes (9.5 minutes). However, the number of flights was 21% lower due to the coronavirus pandemic and its effects on international travel.
Nevertheless, the average delay also exceeds pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, the average flight delay for January-March was 13.3 minutes.
These delays can have different causes. Around six minutes of average delay were due to indirect causes. The aircraft or its crew may, for example, have been delayed by a previous flight. Around four minutes of the delay were caused by the airline, Eurocontrol reported.
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The European air traffic manager also points to industrial action by French air traffic controllers and operational problems that have affected several European airports due, in particular, to staff shortages.
The average delay in the summer months generally exceeds that of the first quarter, and with Belgian Ryanair pilots threatening a strike in mid-July, this delay may increase significantly for passengers in Belgium.
