How many flights were disrupted in Europe in September 2026?

Between 4 and 28 September 2026, 3,941 of the 264,727 departures tracked at 51 European airports were cancelled or arrived more than three hours late (1.49%). 2,767 were cancellations and 1,174 were delays of three hours or more.

Which airline had the most disruptions in September 2026?

By rate, Air Corsica: 7.92% of its 581 tracked departures were cancelled or 3+ hours late. Airlines with fewer than 400 departures are left out because a single bad day would dominate their figure.

Which European airport had the most disruptions in September 2026?

Catania Fontanarossa (CTA): 14.27% of 3,363 departures were cancelled or reached their destination 3+ hours late.

Can I claim compensation for a disrupted flight?

Under EU Regulation 261/2004, passengers on a flight that was cancelled at short notice or arrived three or more hours late can be owed €250, €400 or €600 each, depending on distance, unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances such as severe weather or air traffic control restrictions. Claims can go back several years depending on the country.

Monthly report

European flight disruption report: September 2026

Month to date · 4–28 September 2026

Between 4 and 28 September 2026, 1.49% of the 264,727 departures we tracked at 51 European airports were cancelled or reached their destination more than three hours late: 3,941 flights, of which 2,767 were cancellations. Air Corsica had the highest disruption rate of any airline with at least 400 departures (7.92%). Among the largest carriers, LOT Polish Airlines was the most reliable (0.19%). Catania (CTA) was the most disrupted airport at 14.27%.

Download the data (CSV)

of departures disrupted: 1.49%
flights cancelled or 3h+ late: 3,941
cancellations: 2,767
arrivals 3+ hours late: 1,174
departures tracked at 51 airports: 264,727
EU 261 compensation owed, one passenger per flight: €359,350
average arrival delay of 3h+ flights: 4h 47m
longest arrival delay: 27h 34m

Day by day

When the disruptions happened

Departures from monitored airports that were cancelled or reached their destination at least three hours late, by scheduled departure date (UTC).

Disrupted departures per day

Cancelled
3h+ late
Notable event

September 4, 2026September 28, 2026

Worst day: September 8, 2026, with 509 cancellations and 149 flights 3+ hours late.

8–9 September 2026

UK air traffic control failure

A fault in the NATS flight processing system restricted departures from UK airports for several hours on 8 September. More than 1,000 flights to and from the UK were cancelled, and the backlog carried into the next day.

Usually an extraordinary circumstance, so no EU 261 cash compensation. Airlines still owe meals, a hotel if you are stuck overnight, and the choice of a refund or a new flight.

Sources: The Independent, CNA / AFP

14–16 & 26–28 September 2026

Mount Etna ash closes Catania, twice

Volcanic ash from Mount Etna shut Catania’s airspace on 14 September and again from 26 to 28 September. Those six days account for 432 of Catania’s 447 cancellations this month, which is why it tops the airport table and Sicilian routes fill the busiest-routes list.

Usually an extraordinary circumstance, so no EU 261 cash compensation. Airlines still owe meals, a hotel if you are stuck overnight, and the choice of a refund or a new flight.

Sources: Reuters, 14 September, Reuters, 28 September, AirlineGeeks

16–23 September 2026

Night-time air traffic control strike at Charleroi

Skeyes controllers at Brussels South Charleroi stopped work every night from 22:00 to 08:00 in a dispute over night-shift pay, until the action was suspended for mediation on 23 September. Aircraft that could not land in the evening left the next morning’s first departures stranded, so 161 of Charleroi’s 162 cancellations this month fall in those eight days, almost all of them Ryanair.

Usually an extraordinary circumstance, so no EU 261 cash compensation. Airlines still owe meals, a hotel if you are stuck overnight, and the choice of a refund or a new flight.

Sources: The Brussels Times / Belga, RTBF, Travel Extra

Largest airlines

How the biggest carriers compared in September 2026

Airlines with at least 5,000 tracked departures, most disrupted first.

Disruption rate of the largest airlines, September 2026
#	Airline	Departures	Cancelled	3h+ late	Disruption rate
1	ITA Airways	5,257	150	47	3.75%
2	easyJet	23,439	573	114	2.93%
3	Ryanair	47,761	658	306	2.02%
4	Vueling	9,575	135	58	2.02%
5	SAS	12,485	131	2	1.07%
6	Jet2	5,491	20	39	1.07%
7	Transavia	6,560	52	17	1.05%
8	Wizz Air	18,880	84	102	0.99%
9	Air France	11,778	71	29	0.85%
10	Norwegian	8,605	57	9	0.77%
11	Iberia	9,599	43	18	0.64%
12	TAP Air Portugal	5,470	23	11	0.62%
13	Austrian Airlines	6,467	21	4	0.39%
14	Aegean Airlines	5,051	10	4	0.28%
15	LOT Polish Airlines	6,430	8	4	0.19%

Airline ranking

Every airline, ranked by disruption rate

70 airlines with at least 400 tracked departures. The rate is the share of their departures that were cancelled or arrived 3+ hours late.

Airline disruption ranking, September 2026
#	Airline	Departures	Cancelled	3h+ late	Disruption rate
1	Air Corsica	581	39	7	7.92%
2	United Airlines	931	35	14	5.26%
3	Delta Air Lines	1,218	48	14	5.09%
4	Animawings	510	9	12	4.12%
5	FLYONE	605	6	17	3.80%
6	ITA Airways	5,257	150	47	3.75%
7	British Airways	4,507	146	17	3.62%
8	KLM	2,695	86	8	3.49%
9	Icelandair	438	13	2	3.42%
10	American Airlines	1,061	25	7	3.02%
11	easyJet	23,439	573	114	2.93%
12	HiSky	457	5	8	2.84%
13	Ryanair	47,761	658	306	2.02%
14	Vueling	9,575	135	58	2.02%
15	LATAM Airlines	411	5	3	1.95%
16	Air Algérie	792	6	8	1.77%
17	Aer Lingus	1,536	15	11	1.69%
18	DAT	431	4	2	1.39%
19	Eurowings	2,423	26	4	1.24%
20	Brussels Airlines	3,914	45	2	1.20%
21	Neos	524	1	5	1.15%
22	Etihad Airways	451	0	5	1.11%
23	Air Canada	550	3	3	1.09%
24	Aeroitalia	930	1	9	1.08%
25	SAS	12,485	131	2	1.07%
26	Jet2	5,491	20	39	1.07%
27	SunExpress	940	7	3	1.06%
28	Ethiopian Airlines	473	0	5	1.06%
29	Transavia	6,560	52	17	1.05%
30	Air Dolomiti	481	5	0	1.04%
31	Wizz Air	18,880	84	102	0.99%
32	El Al	518	5	0	0.97%
33	SkyUp Airlines	421	0	4	0.95%
34	Finnair	1,393	13	0	0.93%
35	Air France	11,778	71	29	0.85%
36	Olympic Air	727	6	0	0.83%
37	airBaltic	731	5	1	0.82%
38	SWISS	2,142	16	1	0.79%
39	Norwegian	8,605	57	9	0.77%
40	Lufthansa City	522	4	0	0.77%
41	TUI	3,019	12	11	0.76%
42	Luxair	548	1	3	0.73%
43	Egyptair	419	0	3	0.72%
44	Qatar Airways	1,004	3	4	0.70%
45	Volotea	1,644	2	9	0.67%
46	Smartwings	1,050	0	7	0.67%
47	Iberia	9,599	43	18	0.64%
48	TAP Air Portugal	5,470	23	11	0.62%
49	Condor	502	3	0	0.60%
50	Lufthansa	4,242	19	3	0.52%
51	Turkish Airlines	2,658	11	2	0.49%
52	Air Arabia	612	1	2	0.49%
53	Nouvelair	414	0	2	0.48%
54	Air China	636	1	2	0.47%
55	KM Malta Airlines	701	0	3	0.43%
56	Royal Air Maroc	1,005	3	1	0.40%
57	Austrian Airlines	6,467	21	4	0.39%
58	Air Europa	3,376	2	11	0.39%
59	Pegasus	1,533	5	1	0.39%
60	Wideroe	527	2	0	0.38%
61	TAROM	1,070	0	4	0.37%
62	Emirates	1,184	1	3	0.34%
63	AirSERBIA	646	0	2	0.31%
64	Aegean Airlines	5,051	10	4	0.28%
65	SKY express	2,671	4	2	0.22%
66	Sunclass Airlines	493	0	1	0.20%
67	LOT Polish Airlines	6,430	8	4	0.19%
68	AJet	516	1	0	0.19%
69	ASL Airlines	894	0	1	0.11%
70	Enter Air	879	0	1	0.11%

Airport ranking

Most and least disrupted airports

Monitored airports with at least 300 departures. Figures cover departing flights only.

Airport disruption ranking, September 2026
#	Airport	Departures	Cancelled	3h+ late	Disruption rate
1	CTA Catania Fontanarossa	3,363	447	33	14.27%
2	CRL Brussels South Charleroi	2,458	162	5	6.79%
3	LGW London Gatwick	10,595	193	71	2.49%
4	LTN London Luton	4,420	71	34	2.38%
5	FCO Rome Fiumicino	12,797	162	111	2.13%
6	BSL Basel Mulhouse EuroAirport	2,728	50	7	2.09%
7	NCE Nice Côte d’Azur	5,142	81	26	2.08%
8	VCE Venice Marco Polo	3,738	48	28	2.03%
9	MAN Manchester	8,078	109	49	1.96%
10	VLC Valencia	3,207	33	29	1.93%
11	BCN Barcelona El Prat	13,670	169	90	1.89%
12	PSA Pisa Galileo Galilei	1,772	21	12	1.86%
13	BLQ Bologna	3,022	31	21	1.72%
14	LPL Liverpool John Lennon	1,695	18	10	1.65%
15	MXP Milan Malpensa	8,164	94	40	1.64%
16	LCA Larnaca	3,169	24	26	1.58%
17	BHX Birmingham	3,942	33	27	1.52%
18	STN London Stansted	7,361	70	40	1.49%
19	MLA Malta	2,882	19	20	1.35%
20	CLJ Cluj-Napoca	913	9	3	1.31%
21	NAP Naples	3,964	33	18	1.29%
22	LBA Leeds Bradford	1,510	7	11	1.19%
23	CDG Paris Charles de Gaulle	16,709	149	47	1.17%
24	OTP Bucharest Otopeni	4,412	19	32	1.16%
25	CIA Rome Ciampino	873	4	6	1.15%
26	TIA Tirana	3,501	17	22	1.11%
27	ARN Stockholm Arlanda	7,672	71	13	1.09%
28	BRI Bari	2,323	13	12	1.08%
29	RMO Chișinău	1,981	11	10	1.06%
30	AGP Málaga	7,429	46	30	1.02%
31	BGY Milan Bergamo	4,134	16	26	1.02%
32	BRU Brussels	6,779	56	12	1.00%
33	LIS Lisbon	8,360	54	29	0.99%
34	ALC Alicante	5,406	30	23	0.98%
35	OSL Oslo Gardermoen	8,424	76	4	0.95%
36	ORY Paris Orly	7,953	51	22	0.92%
37	WRO Wrocław	1,525	4	10	0.92%
38	CPH Copenhagen	10,355	73	18	0.88%
39	KRK Kraków	3,571	23	6	0.81%
40	BUD Budapest	5,196	26	15	0.79%
41	MAD Madrid Barajas	15,881	62	51	0.71%
42	ATH Athens	10,972	39	24	0.57%
43	POZ Poznań Ławica	1,125	1	5	0.53%
44	VIE Vienna	8,822	18	25	0.49%
45	BTS Bratislava	1,262	2	4	0.48%
46	WAW Warsaw Chopin	7,432	17	10	0.36%
47	KTW Katowice	1,907	2	4	0.31%
48	WMI Warsaw Modlin	921	0	1	0.11%
49	SKP Skopje	971	1	0	0.10%

Routes

Routes with the most disrupted flights

1CTA → FCO Catania to Rome78
2FCO → CTA Rome to Catania59
3CTA → MXP Catania to Milan39
4MXP → CTA Milan to Catania31
5CTA → LIN Catania to Milan28
6NCE → BIA26
7CTA → LGW Catania to London18
8CTA → ORY Catania to Paris18
9CTA → NAP Catania to Naples16
10CTA → VCE Catania to Venice16

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Methodology

How these numbers are built

We poll the public departure and arrival boards of 51 European airports throughout the day. A departure counts once the board shows it as operating, departed, landed or cancelled; flights still listed as merely scheduled are left out.

A flight counts as disrupted when it was cancelled, or when it reached its destination three or more hours late — the thresholds in EU Regulation 261/2004. Delays are measured on arrival, not departure. Late flights whose arrival time we could not confirm are not counted, so the rates are conservative.

Airlines are grouped by brand, so subsidiaries flying under one name (for example Wizz Air UK and Wizz Air Malta) count together. Cargo and business-aviation operators are excluded. Days are counted in UTC, and the most recent day is held back until its flights settle. Board collection reached every monitored airport on September 4, 2026, so the figures start that day rather than on the 1st.

The compensation figure applies the statutory EU 261 amount for each flight's distance to one passenger only, and assumes no extraordinary circumstances. It is an illustration of scale, not a forecast of payouts.

Use this data

Cite or download

You are free to republish these figures with attribution under CC BY 4.0. Please link to this page.

SkyPaid, "European flight disruption report: September 2026", https://www.skypaid.eu/flight-disruptions/report/2026-09

Airline, airport, daily and route figures (CSV)

FAQ

Questions about this report

How many flights were disrupted in Europe in September 2026?: Between 4 and 28 September 2026, 3,941 of the 264,727 departures tracked at 51 European airports were cancelled or arrived more than three hours late (1.49%). 2,767 were cancellations and 1,174 were delays of three hours or more.
Which airline had the most disruptions in September 2026?: By rate, Air Corsica: 7.92% of its 581 tracked departures were cancelled or 3+ hours late. Airlines with fewer than 400 departures are left out because a single bad day would dominate their figure.
Which European airport had the most disruptions in September 2026?: Catania Fontanarossa (CTA): 14.27% of 3,363 departures were cancelled or reached their destination 3+ hours late.
Can I claim compensation for a disrupted flight?: Under EU Regulation 261/2004, passengers on a flight that was cancelled at short notice or arrived three or more hours late can be owed €250, €400 or €600 each, depending on distance, unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances such as severe weather or air traffic control restrictions. Claims can go back several years depending on the country.

Browse every disrupted flight