EUROCONTROL recorded a 2.4% year-on-year increase in European traffic during summer 2026, while air traffic flow management delays fell by 17%. The network averaged 35,959 flights per day between June and August, including a record 37,640 flights on 10 July, as capacity and staffing remained the largest source of en-route disruption.
ATFM delays averaged 3.27 minutes per flight, comprising 2.62 minutes of en-route delay and 0.65 minutes at airports. Arrival punctuality improved to 72.6%, up 1.2 percentage points from summer 2025.
Around 681,000 flights were affected by ATFM restrictions during the period, equivalent to approximately 7,400 flights per day and 21% of total traffic. Capacity and staffing accounted for 49% of en-route delays, while severe convective weather contributed 43%; industrial action represented 1%.
EUROCONTROL also reported that capacity and weather measures saved 2.9 million minutes of en-route delay during the summer. The Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre manages upper airspace over Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and north-west Germany, but the available summer briefing does not establish the precise comparison or reduction attributed specifically to MUAC.