Michael Coy
HOLIDAYMAKERS flying Ryanair this summer could face a travel nightmare, with the airline warning delays are set to skyrocket by ‘up to 20%’ – and it’s all down to what it calls a ‘shocking’ shortage of air traffic controllers across Europe.
The Irish budget carrier has taken the unprecedented step of launching a ‘public campaign’ titled Air Traffic Control Ruined My Flight in a bid to push national governments – including the UK and Spain’s – to urgently tackle staffing shortfalls in airport control towers.
In a fiery statement, Ryanair took aim at Spain’s Transport Minister Oscar Puente, calling on him to ‘get serious’ and hire more air traffic control staff to avoid a summer of chaos.
Spain is currently the second-worst affected country in Europe for delays, behind only France.
So far in 2025, Ryanair says it has suffered a staggering 11,576 delayed flights, affecting over 2 million passengers.
The airline blames chronic staff shortages at control towers – a situation it claims has been ‘ignored’ by officials despite repeated warnings.
The carrier, led by outspoken CEO Michael O’Leary, is urging fed-up fliers to flood government ministers across Europe – including in France, Spain, Germany, Portugal and the UK – with complaints. On its website, the airline is now directing passengers to write directly to ministers demanding immediate action.
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“This is going to be a very difficult summer, not just for Ryanair but for every airline in Europe,” a spokesperson said. “Unless governments act now, passengers will suffer needless delays again and again.”
Ryanair has renewed calls for a ‘Single European Sky’ – a long-delayed EU project that would create a centralised air traffic control body. Currently, each country manages its own airspace, leading to staffing imbalances and widespread inefficiencies.
Meanwhile, Spain’s air traffic manager Enaire has hit back at the claims, insisting there is no staffing crisis. The state-run body – which oversees 22% of Europe’s air traffic – says delays caused by staff shortages accounted for just 11% of the total last year, and insists controller numbers have actually risen since the pandemic.
Industry insiders say air traffic control issues are currently the third-biggest cause of flight disruption after bad weather and limited airport capacity – but they admit that, with record passenger numbers expected this year, even minor staffing gaps could cause major headaches.
Ryanair says 2024 was already a record year for delays and fears 2025 could be even worse if action isn’t taken swiftly.
The airline claims air traffic across Europe has bounced back to near pre-Covid levels – yet controller staffing has lagged dangerously behind.
In April alone, the airline reported a jaw-dropping 61% increase in delays compared to the same month last year.
