In review 2024 started with better winter performance in terms of delay and punctuality, however the situation deteriorated during the key summer season months, where notably July 2024 saw record en-route ATFM delays. The remainder of the year saw a more traditional trend with decreasing delays, less en-route delay however more airport weather delays as winter commenced.
The average delay per flight in 2024 decreased slightly to 17.5 minutes per flight, compared to 2023 where the average delay per flight was 17.6 minutes per flight alongside an increase in the number of flights in ECAC of 4.8% when compared to 2023.
Despite the record summer delays arrival punctuality in 2024 improved in comparison to 2023, with 72.4% of flights arriving within 15 minutes or earlier of their scheduled arrival time (STA), compared to 70.6% in 2023.
Reactionary (knock-on) delay remained the highest contributor to the average delay per flight with an identical share of 46% of delay minutes, translating to 8.0 minutes per flight in 2024.
Airline related delay causes fell, those such as ramp handling, passenger boarding, staff shortage, (etc.) however this cause ranked in second place with 4.3 minutes per flight.
The main shift in delay causation for the year was a significant increase in en-route ATFM delays, which increased to 2.3 minutes per flight (of which 0.8 minutes was en-route weather), compared to 1.9 minutes (of which 0.6 minutes was en-route weather) in 2023.
During the summer, en-route ATFM delays became a major driver of overall delays. In July 2024, airlines recorded en-route ATFM delays of 5.7 minutes per flight, up from 3.3 minutes in July 2023.
The south-east axis experienced the steepest rise in ATFM delays, driven by increased traffic and limited capacity. Nearly half of these ATFM delays were concentrated in Budapest ACC, Karlsruhe UAC and Zagreb ACCs.
Weather was the main driver of airport delays in 2024. London Heathrow frequently faced arrival restrictions, followed by Porto, Lisbon, and London Gatwick. Popular holiday destinations like Palma also experienced seasonal delays due to both weather (e.g. thunderstorms, winds) and limited aerodrome capacity.
Smaller airports in the Greek islands, especially Heraklion, saw significant delays linked to capacity constraints. Major hubs like Amsterdam Schiphol and Lisbon were affected by a mix of weather, ATC, and aerodrome capacity issues. Despite these operational challenges, average airport delays remained stable at 1.7 minutes per flight for the year.
ATC industrial action was less significant in 2024 than in 2023, where strikes affected nine months of the year, leading to delays, cancellations and disruption for passengers.