Our Special all-Summer 2025 #FlashBriefing looks in detail at how the network performed over the core summer period (1 June-31 August), complementing our weekly #FlashBriefing series.

It finds that the network showed much improved year-on-year performance over the summer months, despite 3% more traffic than in Summer 2024 – 35,122 average daily flights, which was +1% compared to pre-pandemic Summer 2019.

Overall, the data compared to last summer reflect increasing network robustness, and pay tribute to the clear operational benefits of improved planning, coordination and consistent network procedures being applied across European airspace by NM working in close partnership with air navigation service providers (ANSPs), airlines and airports.

Summer arrival punctuality stood at 71%, 6.5% better than Summer 2024, slightly (-1.5%) below that of Summer 2019, but with more traffic. 

However, overall air traffic flow management (ATFM) delays remained above target levels, which continues to impact negatively passengers and airlines. ATFM delays stood at 3.9 minutes per flight, well above the target level even though there were 27% fewer delays than in Summer 2024 despite more traffic (and within that, en-route ATFM delays were 34% lower).

This clearly highlights the ongoing structural lack of capacity, largely driven by a lack of air traffic controllers (ATCOs) in some ANSPs, and the ongoing need to improve airspace design and accelerate technological modernisation. 

All actors still have plenty to do to tackle system congestion for the coming years in order to meet network capacity needs as traffic continues to grow.

Specifically for Summer 2026, NM has started to prepare with ops actors, building on the priorities of 2025 and lessons learnt, and paying special attention to:

• Significant enhancements of strategic network measures and procedures, addressing both weather and capacity management
• Early preparation and full commitment to the implementation of the Network Operations Plan
• Preparation of optimal sector opening schemes & related staff availability
• Improved rostering and continuous ATCO recruitment
• Airspace modernisation, including the implementation of sectorisation changes to better manage demand
• Acceleration of ATM system modernisation and digitalisation, including increased utilisation of datalink, and further capacity increases based on this
• Tangible sector capacity increases, benefiting from all the above.

Source: EUROCONTROL