Network ATFM delays rose to 4.25 minutes per flight (split between en-route 3.45 mins and airport 0.80 mins), up 23% on Week 34, while arrival punctuality decreased by 2.6 percentage points (pp) to 69%, worse than last year by 2.7pp. In total, 59,959 flights were delayed by ATFM restrictions, which breaks down to 8,566 flights a day or 23% of all flights.
Severe convective weather impacts were however once again mitigated by the continued application of capacity and weather-based operations and procedures (CWBO), saving around 200K delay minutes in Week 35, and bringing the total en-route ATFM delay minutes now avoided this year to around 3 million.
Air traffic volumes nevertheless stayed high, up 0.6% week-on-week at 36,581 flights a day, 2.3% higher than the equivalent week last year (and with summer traffic to date up 2.4% compared to the same period in 2025).
Despite strong air traffic levels, the vast majority of Area Control Centres are continuing to deliver in accordance with their Network Operations Plan (NOP) commitments, but continued vigilance is required, with September traffic peaks of between 37K and 37.5K flights expected on Fridays throughout the month.
Finally, more network traffic highs were once again set in Week 35, mostly on the busy south-east axis which generated six out of seven new network traffic records (the other was set by Jet2 airlines):
- Three came from Türkiye (records set by the State, the main Istanbul Airport and Pegasus Airlines)
- Two from Romania (its ANSP ROMATSA as well as Bucharest Henri Coandă Airport)
- One from Armenia (its ANSP ARMATS).