Airport travel chaos warning as race for summer sun hots up

Holidaymakers have been told to expect “challenging” journeys across Europe, as air traffic controllers struggle to cope with a surge in flights.

Air traffic systems could be overwhelmed in London, Athens, Brussels, Marseille, Budapest and Barcelona, travellers are being warned.

Eurocontrol, which manages the continent’s airspace, says up to 34,000 daily flights are due for the next eight weeks, causing delays and longer routes, as pilots avoid congested areas.

More than 25 million trips abroad are scheduled from the UK from now until September, which is a seven percent increase on the same period last year.

Ongoing strikes by air traffic controllers in France, triggered by President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms, are also giving aviation bosses sleepless nights.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has already squeezed safe airspace by 20 percent, reports suggest.

Raul Medina, director-general at Eurocontrol, said: “This summer in Europe is challenging as we have less available airspace because of the war in Ukraine and the military needs. To be successful over the summer, we need everyone to play their part. Airports need to be well staffed – it is vital [air traffic services] provide enough capacity and that airlines stick to their schedules.”

Mr Medina added “Recent industrial action caused many delays across the network.

“We can manage situations like that in quieter periods, but if it happens in the middle of summer, it will be much more challenging. We need to be prepared.”

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office last week advised jetsetters it is “more important than ever to get travel insurance and check it provides sufficient cover”.

Air traffic reached pre-pandemic levels last week, a European Network Operations Plan report shows. Over 34,000 flights soared across Europe last Friday, a typical number for that day of the week this summer, and 33,000 are to take off daily from Saturday to Thursday in July and August.

On Fridays and weekends, overloads are forecast for London, Barcelona, Brussels, Budapest, Nicosia, Warsaw and Zagreb.

Although 34,000 flights on Fridays falls short of the 37,228 recorded on one day in June 2019, troubling conditions pose a threat to operations. The number of air traffic controllers has shrunk, partly due to recruitment issues post-Covid, while strike action is causing delays or cancellations.

Ryanair said French walkouts are the key threat to summer travel, as the Irish budget airline scrapped an estimated 130 flights last week and 400 in early June because of them.

Willie Walsh, head of the Inter-national Air Transport Association, called June’s disruption was “well beyond what is normal”. He added: “We have the chaotic situation with almost daily strikes, which doesn’t just disrupt traffic in France but across Europe as it forces airlines to reroute to other countries.”

Short-haul flights from the UK and Spain are badly affected by the French strikes, as officials across the Channel prioritise domestic and long-haul departures, which block up airspace.

Rory Boland, of Which? Travel, said: “It’s essential airlines and airports work together to keep travellers updated and fulfil their legal obligations after cancellations or delays.” He also warned travellers that not all insurance policies cover airline or airport staff strikes.