Eurocontrol Hails Busy Summer With ‘Controlled’ Delays

Eurocontrol said the Maastricht Upper Area Control Center (MUAC) handled 677,010 flights over the summer period, its highest volume of summer traffic since the pandemic, with average delays per flight “well controlled” and plans in place to recruit more air traffic controllers (ATCOs).

The network manager provided the update for the peak June to September period against a backdrop of concerns among European airlines about air traffic control (ATC) delays. MUAC provides multinational civil and military air navigation services in the upper airspace (from 24,500 ft. to 66,000 ft.) for Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and northwestern Germany.

A recruitment drive for more than 100 student ATCOs at MUAC is ongoing, Eurocontrol said, as it works to maintain a full complement of controllers into the future, as training of existing controllers continues.

Eurocontrol said a new daily traffic record was reached July 4, when MUAC handled 5,831 flights, an increase on the previous busiest day in 2018.

The busiest month of the summer season was July, with 173,977 flights, over 10,000 more than in June and more than 5,600 flights on average per day. August saw the greatest increase in traffic when compared to last year, with traffic up by +3%.

Eurocontrol said “average delay per flight was well controlled due to healthy staffing levels, combined with pre-tactical and tactical management.” It added that it expected to end the year below the EU-driven target of 0.31 minutes (18.6 seconds) per flight.

European airlines, however, have painted a mixed picture about the operational performance of the 2025 summer season. For some, it has been better than expected.

“In April, May and June, European airline CEOs were all very concerned [about potential disruption], but it’s been much better than expected.” Volotea CEO Carlos Muñoz told Aviation Week in a recent interview. “That doesn’t mean it was a walk in the park.” Muñoz also said European on time performance has been improving across several European operators.

LCC Ryanair, however, paints a different picture. The Dublin-based carrier has been vocal in its criticism of ATC delays and has repeated calls for EU President Ursula Von Der Leyen to reform Europe’s ATC system or resign.

In an Oct. 3 statement, this time referring to Slovenian ATC strikes planned for Oct. 6-7, Ryanair said overflights should be protected in the event of national strikes to limit disruption.

In March 2024, the European Parliament and the Presidency of the European Council reached a provisional agreement on SES reforms, but at the time, the industry denounced the plans as a missed opportunity with reforms that did not go far enough.

Ryanair Director of Communications Jade Kirwan said Europe’s airlines were united in calling for two effective ATC reforms: “(1) Mandate that national ATC services are fully staffed for the first wave of morning flights or face fines, and (2) protect overflights [and the Single Market] during national ATC strikes.”

“The summer is always a challenging season, particularly with sustained high levels of traffic over a prolonged period in a complex airspace area,” Eurocontrol MUAC Director Peggy Devestel said. “I am very pleased with our performance this year, which reflects our commitment to provide our civil and military customers with safe, efficient and reliable services. Looking ahead, a detailed review of summer 2025 will help shape our plans for next year and beyond. The anticipated increase in traffic will bring challenges, particularly in terms of capacity, however our robust planning efforts are focused on meeting the needs of all our airspace users.”