Ryanair launches ATC “League of Delays” exposing Europe's worst ATCs for delays due to mismanagement and staff shortages

Ryanair launched its ATC “League of Delays”, highlighting those EU states whose short staffed and mismanaged ATCs are causing the worst delays for Ryanair flights and passengers so far this year from 1 Jan to 26 May 2025.  

2024 was a record year for ATC delays despite 5% fewer flights in Europe than pre-Covid. This was due to National ATCs being mismanaged and short staffed, especially for the first wave of morning flights. While ATC delays soared in 2024, ATC fees to airlines and passengers rose by double the rate of inflation (+35% since Covid). The EU Commission and Govts have taken no action to fix their shoddy ATC services and ATC delays will now be even worse in Summer 2025.

Ryanair has long campaigned for reform to ensure ATCs are fully staffed but ATC delays are getting worse. EU Transport Ministers are responsible for their national ATC services. They must not be allowed to preside over another year of record ATC delays due to mismanagement and staff shortages. Ryanair calls on all passengers to visit the ‘Air Traffic Control Ruined Your Flight’ webpage and use the template email to complain directly to their national Transport Minister, and demand that these lazy politicians take action to properly staff ATC services and avoid unnecessary ATC delays this summer.

Ryanair Michael O’Leary commented: “Our ATC “League of Delays” exposes Europe’s worst ATCs for delays due to mismanagement and staff shortages from Jan to
May 2025. We will hold EU Transport Ministers responsible for allowing such unnecessary and avoidable ATC delays to repeatedly occur.

National ATCs are made aware of airline schedules almost 12 months in advance, so there is no reason for them not to adequately staff up to manage this traffic. This is especially important for the first wave of morning flights as any morning delays knock on to flights throughout the rest of the day. Fixing Europe’s ATC staff shortages as well as protecting overflights during national ATC strikes would eliminate 90% of EU’s ATC delays but Transport Ministers won’t take any action.

Ryanair calls on passengers to visit the ‘Air Traffic Control Ruined Your Flight’ webpage to demand that their national Transport Ministers take action to properly staff their national ATC services and avoid record ATC flight delays this summer.”