On 3 September 2025, low-cost airline Ryanair published a press release blaming the European Commission and national governments for millions of passenger delays caused by air traffic control (ATC) providers. According to CEO Michael O’Leary, no less than 21 million passengers have experienced delays over the first eight months of 2025.
As Ryanair published its August 2025 edition of the so-called ATC Delays League, five European countries come out at the top of the list of Europe’s worst-performing ATCs. France, Spain, Germany, the UK, and Greece caused the most delays and cancellations according to the airline, making them responsible for 90% of Europe’s ATC delays.
CEO Michael O’Leary once again blamed the European Commission and Ursula von der Leyen – calling her Ursula von ‘Derlayed-Again – for the lack of ATC compliance.
“Yet another month of ATC mismanagement has passed in August with zero action to fix these failing ATC services by those responsible – the EU Commission and National Transport Ministers. Europe’s worst performing ATCs in France, Spain, Germany, the UK, and Greece continue to inflict avoidable delays and cancellations on thousands of flights and millions of Ryanair passengers due to their inexplicable mismanagement and short staffing”, said Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary.
In its press release, the airline is now calling on passengers to join Ryanair’s campaign and have their say by visiting the ‘Air Traffic Control Ruined Your Flight’ webpage to demand real reform.
Ursula von "Derlayed-Again" must protect overflights during national ATC strikes or QUIT! @PhilippeTabarot @vonderleyen pic.twitter.com/TFVEXu2x3F
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) July 17, 2025
Action needed
According to the CEO, the weakly-performing ATCs in France, Spain, and Germany are unforgivable, especially since ATCs in Bulgaria, Denmark, Slovakia, the Netherlands, and Belgium are working fine and deliver Europe’s most efficient services. According to O’Leary, their well-managed, properly staffed ATC is proof that it is possible to deliver a qualitative ATC service.
“As protected State monopolies, they have no incentive to care about delays or passengers. If they did, they would ensure their ATC services are fully staffed and efficiently managed”, he said about France, Spain, Germany, the UK, and Greece.
O’Leary is thus asking the European Commission and the national EU Transport Ministers to take immediate action, especially since 2024 was already a record year for Air Traffic Control delays. According to him, it is inexcusable that passengers and airlines continue to pay hefty fees for failing ATC services, and adequate ATC staffing and oversight should be imposed by everyone.
Ryanair’s statement came just a day after France’s largest air traffic control union, the SNCTA, announced a 24-hour strike scheduled to begin on the morning of 18 September 2025. Representing about 60% of the country’s air traffic controllers, the union action is scheduled to have a big impact on all flights passing through French airspace.
