Worst European Airports for Flight Delays

The pan-European air traffic management coordinator Eurocontrol has urged airports and airlines to address system congestion as air traffic levels have reached 100.2% of pre-pandemic volumes. The warning, detailed in a report published on April 10, 2026, comes as aviation authorities seek to mitigate flight delays ahead of the summer travel peak.

Data from 2025 indicates that Lisbon, Zurich, and Nice were the top airports for delayed departures. Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado airport experienced a significant decline in punctuality, with the rate of planes leaving on time falling to 49%.

This 49% on-time departure rate was the lowest recorded among Europe’s 20 busiest hubs and the lowest across the entire continent in 2025. In addition to departures, Lisbon also ranked among the worst-affected airports for late arrivals, alongside Athens and Luxembourg.

Operational Drivers of Flight Delays

According to the Eurocontrol study, several systemic factors contributed to the decline in punctuality. The agency noted that operations at Lisbon’s airport were severely hampered by adverse weather conditions and en-route restrictions causing traffic bunching at airports.

The report further highlighted that a number of European airports are currently operating at near full capacity, leaving very little operational buffering to absorb disruptions. This lack of capacity makes the system more susceptible to delays when weather or restrictions occur.

Long-term Delay Trends (2020-2025)

An analysis conducted by experts at Northerner, covering the period from 2020 to 2025, identified Luxembourg (ELLX) as the worst airport in Europe for delays. The airport recorded an average pre-departure delay time of 48.8 minutes and was assigned a Travel Disruption Score of 9.89 out of 10.

The study found that travelers using Luxembourg airport can expect a nearly 50 minute average delay time.

Naples (LIRN) in Italy ranked second in the long-term study with a Travel Disruption Score of 9.79 out of 10 and an average pre-departure delay of 27.5 minutes. Naples is identified as the busiest airport in southern Italy and the fourth busiest overall in the country.

Worst Performing European Airports by Average Delay

The Northerner data, which divided total pre-departure delay minutes by the number of reported departures between 2020 and 2025, listed the following ten airports as the worst for delays:

• Luxembourg (ELLX), Luxembourg: 48.8 minutes
• Naples (LIRN), Italy: 27.5 minutes
• Mohammed V International (GMMN), Morocco: 26.4 minutes
• Torino Caselle (LIMF), Italy: 23.3 minutes
• Milan – Malpensa (LIMC), Italy: 22.6 minutes
• Amsterdam – Schiphol (EHAM), Netherlands: 22.2 minutes
• Menara (GMMX), Morocco: 19.5 minutes
• Nuremberg (EDDN), Germany: 19.3 minutes
• Birmingham (EGBB), United Kingdom: 19 minutes
• Budapest – Ferihegy (LHBP), Hungary: 18.9 minutes

The data shows a significant concentration of high-delay hubs in Italy and Morocco, alongside major northern European hubs like Amsterdam-Schiphol and Luxembourg.

As the summer travel season approaches, aviation authorities continue to warn that too many travelers are experiencing delays despite a general trend of decreasing late takeoffs. The current traffic volume, now slightly exceeding pre-pandemic levels, places sustained pressure on the continent’s air traffic management infrastructure.