Are flight delays and cancellations getting worse? Adido CEO Andy Headington explores how agents can support customers during periods of flight disruption
“I’ve spent more time in airports recently than I care to remember. Is it because I can’t get enough of the duty-free bargains? Sadly not. My airport loitering has been entirely down to delays.
And the recent UK air traffic control incident hasn’t helped. A problem at NATS caused widespread disruption, with hundreds of flights cancelled. It begs the question: are delays and cancellations getting worse? Google Trends suggests worldwide search interest in ‘flight delay’ and ‘flight cancellation’ has grown over the past five years, particularly recently. But while disruption is occupying more of our attention, the data tells a different story.
Europe is actually more punctual
EUROCONTROL’s Assessment of Air Traffic Management in Europe shows that in 2025, 76.1% of flights arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, up from 72.5% in 2024. Average departure delay fell from 17.7 minutes to 14.7 minutes, while summer arrival punctuality improved from 64.5% in 2024 to 71.1% in 2025.
EUROCONTROL describes 2022 and 2023 as the lowest punctuality levels in two decades. It indicated post-Covid demand returned faster than aviation could scale, with staffing shortages playing a major part. Arrival punctuality fell to 71.5% in 2022 and 70.6% in 2023 before recovering.
We’re still slightly behind 2019, when 77.8% of flights arrived within 15 minutes and average departure delay was 13.2 minutes. It’s also worth noting there are more flights taking to the skies than ever before; in 2025 there were 11.1 million controlled flights across Europe, 4.3% more than the previous year and fractionally above 2019. That makes the improvement in punctuality all the more noteworthy, given the network is handling greater numbers of flights and passengers than ever before.
US figures are less promising
According to the US Department of Transportation, 76.42% of reported flights arrived on time in 2025, down from 78.1% in 2024 and 79% in 2019. Cancellations also rose from 1.36% in 2024 to 1.53% in 2025.
The US airline market is highly concentrated too, with four carriers controlling around 80% of air traffic, giving passengers fewer alternatives when things go wrong.
What can travel brands do?
This is the bit I find most interesting, both as a traveller and someone with a professional interest. Travel brands can’t drown out every headline or social media rant, and often won’t control the initial information passengers receive. But they can control how useful they are once disruption happens.
That means being armed with the detail to reassure customers quickly and confidently, and explaining what disruption actually means for their holiday. And it’s where good travel brands can make a real difference. They should:
- Explain what change means: does the transfer still run, will the hotel hold the room, does the first day of the itinerary change?
- Make support obvious: who should customers contact if they miss a connection or arrive several hours late?
- Reassure with specifics: explain what is already being handled and what they need to do next.
- Communicate early: don’t wait for customers to chase if you know their journey may be affected.
A flight delay might be outside a travel brand’s control. The customer experience that follows it isn’t. And in an industry where disruption is likely, that’s the thing people remember most.”
