Published on
December 29, 2025
Thousands Of Passengers Grounded Today In Europe as 1,777 flight cancellations and delays throw Paris Charles de Gaulle (349 delays, 10 cancellations), Amsterdam Schiphol (270 delays, 43 cancellations), Barcelona Intl (266 delays, 2 cancellations), Frankfurt Intl (222 delays, 4 cancellations), and London Heathrow (191 delays, 8 cancellations) into travel chaos. The most affected airlines included Ryanair (38 delays at Barcelona; 32 delays at Valencia), KLM (29 cancellations, 115 delays at Amsterdam; additional delays at Paris and London), Air France (5 cancellations, 152 delays at Paris Charles de Gaulle), British Airways (61 delays, 1 cancellation at London Heathrow), Lufthansa (76 delays at Frankfurt; additional delays across Barcelona and Paris), and Vueling Airlines (91 delays at Barcelona; 12 delays and 2 cancellations at Valencia). Other widely used carriers such as easyJet (27 delays at Amsterdam; 18 delays at Barcelona), SAS (23 delays at Copenhagen; delays and cancellations across Paris and London), and Delta Air Lines (delays across Paris, London, and Frankfurt) also recorded operational setbacks. The airports seeing the heaviest volumes of disruption were Paris Charles de Gaulle (349 delays, 10 cancellations), Amsterdam Schiphol (270 delays, 43 cancellations), Barcelona International (266 delays, 2 cancellations), Frankfurt International (222 delays, 4 cancellations), and London Heathrow (191 delays, 8 cancellations).
According to the latest flight data, Paris, Amsterdam, London, Frankfurt, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Brussels, Valencia, and Dortmund emerged as the most affected cities, underscoring widespread flight disruption across France, the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, Spain, Denmark, and Belgium.
- Updated travel update today: Europe recorded 1,675 delays and 102 cancellations across nine major airports.
- Paris Charles de Gaulle led all hubs with 349 delays, driven largely by Air France operations.
- Amsterdam Schiphol reported the highest cancellations at 43, with KLM most affected.
- Barcelona International saw heavy congestion with 266 delays, dominated by Vueling Airlines and Ryanair.
- London Heathrow disruption remained delay-heavy, with British Airways accounting for the bulk of late departures.
- Frankfurt delays were concentrated around Lufthansa and regional partners, despite limited cancellations.
Most Affected European Airports
Paris Charles de Gaulle
Paris Charles de Gaulle recorded 349 delays and 10 cancellations, making it the most delay-affected airport today. Air France alone accounted for 152 delays, with additional disruption spread across easyJet, HOP!, and several long-haul carriers.
Amsterdam Schiphol
Amsterdam Schiphol experienced 270 delays and 43 cancellations, the highest cancellation total among all airports. KLM dominated disruption with 29 cancellations and 115 delays, while easyJet and Transavia also faced operational issues.
Barcelona International
Barcelona logged 266 delays and just 2 cancellations, highlighting congestion rather than flight grounding. Vueling Airlines (91 delays) and Ryanair (38 delays) were the largest contributors.
Frankfurt International
Frankfurt reported 222 delays and 4 cancellations, with Lufthansa responsible for 76 delays. Regional and leisure carriers such as Air Dolomiti and Condor also saw elevated delay rates.
London Heathrow
London Heathrow saw 191 delays and 8 cancellations, with British Airways recording 61 delays, the highest for any single airline at the airport. US-bound operations accounted for a notable share of late departures.
Airlines Most Affected by Europe Flight Cancellations and Delays
KLM
KLM faced widespread disruption, particularly at Amsterdam Schiphol, where it led both cancellations (29) and delays (115), alongside additional delays at Paris and London.
Air France
Air France emerged as the largest delay contributor in Europe today, driven by 152 delayed flights at Paris Charles de Gaulle, plus smaller delay clusters elsewhere.
British Airways
British Airways’ network was impacted primarily at London Heathrow, where it recorded 61 delays, contributing significantly to overall congestion at the hub.
Lufthansa
Lufthansa delays were concentrated at Frankfurt (76 delays), with further delays reported at Paris, Barcelona, and Valencia, reflecting network-wide knock-on effects.
Vueling Airlines
Vueling Airlines dominated short-haul disruption in Spain, logging 91 delays at Barcelona and additional cancellations and delays at Valencia.
Ryanair
Ryanair saw consistent delay exposure, particularly at Barcelona (38 delays) and Valencia (32 delays), underlining pressure on high-frequency leisure routes.
How Travellers Were Impacted at Major Airports
- Expect longer-than-usual departure waits, particularly during peak travel windows.
- Connecting passengers faced increased risk of missed onward flights at congested hubs.
- Short-haul leisure routes were more prone to rolling delays rather than outright cancellations.
- Travellers were advised to monitor airline notifications frequently for gate and schedule changes.
- Buffer time between connections remained critical at airports experiencing sustained congestion.
Overview of Europe Flight Cancellations
Europe’s flight disruption today was delay-driven rather than cancellation-heavy, with Air France, KLM, British Airways, Lufthansa, Vueling Airlines, and Ryanair emerging as the most impacted airlines overall. Airports such as Paris Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam Schiphol, Barcelona International, Frankfurt International, and London Heathrow repeatedly appeared as disruption hotspots, reflecting pressure on both legacy network carriers and high-volume low-cost operators. While cancellations remained comparatively limited outside Amsterdam, the sheer scale of delays across these cities continued to affect passenger movement throughout the European aviation network.
Image Source: AI
Source: Different airports and FlightAware
