Thousands of travelers across Europe woke up to disruption as a fresh wave of delays and cancellations rippled through some of the continent’s busiest hubs, from Madrid and Amsterdam to Frankfurt and beyond. Flight tracking data for the latest 24 hour period shows at least 1,481 flights delayed and 33 cancelled across Spain, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and other European countries, affecting services operated by easyJet, KLM, JetBlue and a long list of European and transatlantic carriers. For holidaymakers heading to city breaks and business travelers returning from winter meetings, the result has been long queues, missed connections and a scramble to rebook scarce seats on already crowded routes.
What Is Happening Across Europe’s Skies
The latest disruption is part of a wider pattern of instability that has plagued European air travel since the start of the winter season. In recent weeks, operational data shows thousands of flights delayed or cancelled across multiple countries, with one recent day alone recording more than 2,200 delays and over 60 cancellations in Europe, spanning France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and others. Major carriers such as Lufthansa, easyJet, KLM and Brussels Airlines have all reported significant schedule disruption as they attempt to juggle bad weather, high passenger volumes and infrastructure bottlenecks.
On the ground, the impact is most visible at major hubs like Amsterdam Schiphol, Madrid Barajas and Frankfurt, where aircraft and crews are tightly scheduled and disturbances quickly cascade through the network. When winter storms or dense fog force air traffic control to reduce capacity, airlines must cancel or delay flights at short notice, leaving aircraft out of position and crews unable to operate legally within duty limits. This creates a chain reaction that can affect airports hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away from the original weather event.
Compounding matters is the fact that Europe’s aviation system is running close to its limits. A recent analysis from industry bodies has highlighted how air traffic control capacity, staff shortages and infrastructure constraints have combined to make recovery from any disruption slower and more painful. Even when skies clear, the backlog of stranded passengers and displaced aircraft can take days to unwind, and that is what many travelers are now experiencing in Spain, France, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands.
Key Airports Bearing the Brunt: Madrid, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and More
Madrid Barajas, one of southern Europe’s principal hubs, has again found itself at the centre of the latest wave of disruption. Spain has been among the countries most frequently affected by winter weather, and recent data tracking delays and cancellations across Europe shows Madrid consistently featuring among the worst hit airports alongside Barcelona and other major Spanish gateways. For travelers, that means longer than expected queues at security, congested departure halls and departure screens crowded with yellow and red status alerts.
In the north, Amsterdam Schiphol is once more under pressure. Following episodes of extreme winter weather during which KLM reported that around 70 percent of its flights had to be cancelled on the worst days, Schiphol is still working through periodic backlogs of stranded passengers and disrupted operations. The airline has warned that uncertainty remains high and has acknowledged that hundreds of thousands of travelers have had their journeys disrupted in recent weeks, with rebookings often needing to be changed again as conditions deteriorate.
Germany’s Frankfurt Airport, a key hub for Lufthansa and a major transit point for travelers connecting between Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia, has also faced repeated bouts of disruption this winter. When flight programs into Frankfurt are cut due to weather or airspace congestion, knock on effects are quickly felt at outstations across Europe. That is why passengers in Spain, Italy or France can find their flight delayed or cancelled even if conditions at their departure airport appear calm and clear.
The Airlines Under Scrutiny: easyJet, KLM, JetBlue and Others
Among the most visible names in the latest travel chaos are easyJet and KLM, two airlines that have become closely associated with Europe’s delay statistics in recent years. Data from independent flight tracking analyses for 2025 ranked easyJet and KLM among the world’s more delay prone carriers by percentage of late arrivals, reflecting how heavily their networks rely on busy European hubs and congested airspace. With such thin margins in their schedules, any disturbance in one part of the system can reverberate through dozens of flights.
easyJet, which operates dense networks linking the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and other countries, is particularly vulnerable during the winter period. A single day of air traffic control restrictions or a localized ground handling issue can result in hundreds of short haul rotations being delayed. The airline has previously been caught up in Italian air traffic control strikes and cabin crew walkouts, leading to cancellations and delays across popular leisure routes and further undermining its operational resilience.
KLM, for its part, has faced acute pressures at its Amsterdam Schiphol hub. The combination of winter weather, staffing constraints and infrastructure limits has forced the airline to trim schedules at various points, and during the worst spells it has been compelled to cancel large portions of its program. Travelers have reported struggles with rebooking tools and long waits for customer service as the airline works through waves of disrupted passengers seeking alternative flights, hotel vouchers or refunds.
JetBlue also appears in the mix, reflecting growing transatlantic connectivity between the United States and European hubs like London, Amsterdam and Paris. As a long haul operator serving Europe from the other side of the Atlantic, JetBlue is directly exposed when European airports impose capacity restrictions or when connecting traffic from within Europe fails to arrive on time. This can translate into departure delays, extended ground holds and missed onward connections for travelers who rely on tight European transfers after crossing the ocean.
Underlying Causes: Weather, Strikes and Systemic Strain
While passengers often experience disruption as a single, frustrating incident, the causes are typically layered and systemic. Weather remains the most visible trigger. In the latest wave of disruption, winter storms, freezing temperatures and low visibility have led air traffic control units to impose flow restrictions and reduced landing rates at multiple airports. When aircraft have to operate with longer separation distances or when de icing operations slow down turnarounds, overall capacity falls and airlines are forced to cut or delay flights.
In parallel, industrial action continues to play a major role, especially in southern Europe. In late 2025, coordinated strikes by Italian air traffic controllers and crews from low cost carriers such as easyJet and Volotea led to widespread cancellations and delays on routes throughout Italy and the wider region. Even when strikes are limited to a single day, their effects can take several days to dissipate, particularly in peak travel periods when there are few spare seats left on alternative services.
Beyond these acute triggers, experts point to structural issues within European aviation. Air traffic control capacity has not kept pace with the growth in air travel, and long standing staffing and technology challenges at control centres and airports make the network inherently fragile. Research by industry organizations suggests that air traffic control related delays alone have cost passengers and airlines in Europe billions of dollars in lost time and additional expenses in recent years, underlining the scale of the problem.
The result is a system in which even routine disruptions can morph into major episodes of travel chaos. When weather, strikes and capacity constraints align, the effect on passengers can be severe, as seen in the most recent data showing more than a thousand delays and several dozen cancellations across multiple European countries and airlines in a single day.
How Passengers Are Being Affected on the Ground
For travelers in Madrid, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and other affected hubs, the statistics translate into very human stories of missed family gatherings, disrupted business trips and extended nights spent on airport floors. At Schiphol, recent episodes of extreme disruption have left many passengers waiting hours or even days for rebooking as airlines worked through cases involving hundreds of thousands of affected customers. Travelers report long queues at service desks, overloaded apps and websites, and limited information about when new flights will actually depart.
Passengers at Madrid and other Spanish and Italian airports have described similar scenes, with departure halls packed and seating in short supply. When flights are first delayed and then cancelled, travelers often find that hotel rooms near the airport quickly sell out, particularly during major events or holiday periods when local occupancy is already high. Those able to secure accommodation may later face challenges in reclaiming expenses from airlines, a process that can take weeks or months to resolve.
In Germany and France, where major hubs such as Frankfurt and Paris have also seen repeated waves of disruption, the knock on effects are particularly hard on connecting passengers. Travelers arriving from long haul flights may discover that their short haul connections onward to regional cities have been cancelled or significantly delayed, leaving them stranded in transit. Rebooking options can be limited, especially when flights are already heavily booked and when weather or airspace restrictions cap the number of additional services airlines can operate.
What This Means for Rights and Compensation
For passengers caught up in the chaos, one of the most pressing questions is whether they are entitled to compensation or assistance. Under European passenger rights regulations, travelers on flights departing from EU airports or operated by EU carriers may be eligible for financial compensation if their flight is significantly delayed or cancelled for reasons within the airline’s control, or if they are rebooked onto services that arrive much later than originally scheduled.
However, the current disruptions are often linked to weather events or air traffic control restrictions, which are generally considered extraordinary circumstances outside the airline’s direct control. In such cases, compensation may not be payable, although carriers still have obligations to provide care such as meals, refreshments and, where necessary, accommodation while passengers wait for alternative flights. Understanding the distinction between compensable and non compensable disruptions can be confusing, and many travelers are turning to specialist claims services or consumer organisations for guidance.
Airlines including easyJet, KLM and others usually provide information about rights and options via their apps, websites and airport staff. This may include the ability to rebook onto later flights at no additional cost, request travel vouchers or, in some scenarios, claim a refund for the unused portion of a ticket. Given the scale of the latest disruptions, passengers should expect longer processing times and may need to be persistent in following up claims or requests, especially if supporting documentation such as receipts for meals and hotels is required.
Practical Advice for Travelers Facing Disruption
For those due to travel in or through Spain, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands or neighboring countries in the coming days, preparation and flexibility will be essential. Passengers should monitor their flight status regularly from 24 hours before departure, using both airline apps and airport information feeds where possible. In periods of instability, schedules can change quickly, and early awareness of delays or cancellations can provide a valuable head start in securing alternative options.
Travelers are also advised to build generous buffers into itineraries, especially when planning tight connections between separate tickets or when onward journeys depend on arriving flights. Given the current pattern of delays across Europe, same day connections between separately booked low cost and long haul flights are particularly risky. Adding extra connection time or planning overnight stops where feasible can reduce the likelihood of missed onward services and additional expenses.
Those already at the airport when disruption strikes should act quickly but calmly. If an airline offers self service rebooking via its app or website, it is often faster to use those channels than to wait in line at a desk, especially in large hubs where thousands of passengers may be seeking assistance at once. At the same time, travelers should keep records of announcements, boarding passes and receipts, as these may be important when later seeking refunds or compensation.
What Comes Next for Europe’s Travelers
The current wave of travel chaos affecting Spain, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and other European countries underlines how fragile the continent’s aviation network remains during periods of peak demand and challenging weather. With more winter conditions likely in the coming weeks, and with continuing pressure on air traffic control capacity and airline staffing, further episodes of widespread disruption cannot be ruled out.
Airlines and airports insist they are working to improve resilience, from investing in staffing and technology to refining schedules and communication tools. KLM has publicly acknowledged the need to provide more timely and transparent information to stranded passengers, while carriers such as easyJet and others are continuing to adjust timetables and crew deployment in an effort to reduce knock on delays. Nonetheless, these efforts will take time to bear fruit, and Europe’s air travel system will remain vulnerable to shocks in the short term.
For travelers, the lesson from the latest figures showing 1,481 delayed flights and 33 cancellations in a single day is clear. Flexibility, awareness and preparation are no longer optional extras but essential parts of planning any trip that relies on Europe’s crowded skies. Whether flying from Madrid to Amsterdam, connecting through Frankfurt, or crossing the Atlantic with JetBlue or another carrier, passengers should assume that disruption is a real possibility and plan accordingly, turning a potentially stressful experience into one that is at least manageable, if not entirely smooth.