In Week 9, the European aviation network recorded an average of 26,421 daily flights, a slight decrease of 0.3% compared to Week 8, as major airspace closures at the end of the week saw the flow between Europe and the Middle East drop by 66% on 28 February and 1 March compared to 2025, and for the entire week, -25% vs Week 8. Air traffic levels overall, however, remained up year-on-year at 1.7% higher than the same period in 2025.
The busiest 10 States saw total arrivals/departures increase by 0.5% compared to the previous week, but with a considerable range between the highest increase (+6% Germany) and the greatest decrease (-7% Türkiye), the latter seeing fewer domestic flights as well as reduced flows to the Middle East.
On average the busiest 10 carriers reduced their capacity by -0.3% compared to the previous week.
Arrival and departure punctuality reached 84.5% and 80.5% respectively, both higher than in the equivalent week of 2025.
Week 9 also registered a 26% reduction in en route ATFM delays compared to the previous week, averaging 8,844 minutes per day. Delays were 15% lower than during the same operational week in 2025. A total of 78% of all en route ATFM delays were attributed to ATC capacity and staffing issues, notably in France and Spain and, to a lesser extent, Germany.
The average jet fuel price closed at $2.45 per gallon on 27 February 2026, marking a 7% increase compared with two weeks earlier and reaching its highest level since July 2024.