Ryanair flights: Budget airline warns passengers of summer holiday flight cancellations and 'excessive delays' due to air traffic control 'mismanagement'

The airline has told passengers that there could be long queues at London Stansted Airport and flight delays outside the control of the airline. It adds that those travelling from the London airport should give themselves plenty of time as queues will be longer than usual.

It said: "Due to extended security queues at London Stansted Airport (Monday 15 July) we advise all passengers departing London Stansted to please arrive at the airport with extra time to allow for delays in security. Passengers who do not have any bags to check in should head straight to security when they arrive at the airport.

"We regret any inconvenience caused to passengers by these extended security queues, which are completely outside of Ryanair's control." It adds that there may be "excessive delays" this summer due to European ATC staff shortages.

Ryanair added: "Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, on Monday 15 July apologised to its passengers for the excessive flight delays caused by European ATC staff shortages today Monday 15 July which are affecting all European airlines. Ryanair has told passengers they could face disruptions if travelling this week and throughout the summer.

"ATC services, which have had the benefit of no French ATC strike disruption this summer, continue to underperform (despite flight volumes being five per cent behind 2019 levels) with repeated 'staff shortages'. On Monday 15 July, 19 per cent of Ryanair’s first wave departures (106 of 582 aircraft) were delayed due to ATC 'staff shortages'.

“These repeated flight delays due to ATC mismanagement are unacceptable. We apologise to our passengers for these repeated ATC flight delays which are deeply regrettable but beyond Ryanair’s control."

Ryanair told The Independent that ATC is causing unprecedented flight delays. Eddie Wilson, chief executive of the main airline operation, Ryanair DAC, told The Independent that “it is really, really difficult at the moment with ATC.” As of Monday morning (15 July), the budget airline reported more than 100 of its “first wave” of departures were delayed due to air-traffic control slot restrictions.

In 2023, 50,000 hours of flight delays were blamed on striking French air-traffic controllers. Last year, ATC was heavily criticised after the failure of its main and standby computer systems caused a meltdown over the August bank holiday. However, Nats’ most recent report says it contributed only 1.4 per cent of overall European delay in June, even though it handled 24 per cent of European traffic.