In the first half of this year, the delay in civil aviation has more than doubled to 47,000 minutes per day. This is 133 percent more than in the same period last year. This was the result of Eurocontrol’s data from the European Air Navigation Agency, which was announced on Wednesday by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Most delays are due to staff shortages and low capacity. Other reasons include weather conditions, or strikes.
The average delay was 20 minutes in July, with the longest delay being 337 minutes. “We are in the middle of the summer season in Europe. Passengers want to get to their holiday in time. And many of them will be disappointed due to delays in air travel,” said IATA chief, Alexandre de Juniac.
“We should reduce the delays, but instead we have doubled compared to last year. There is no way to get a quick fix this year. However, the necessary solutions are well known,” he added.
IATA has therefore called upon the European Commission, the EU Member States and their air traffic controls, to focus on infrastructure modernization or to reform the obsolete working principles. According to current rules, airlines often do not have the option of recruiting additional personnel if needed, stated IATA.