On July 5, 2026, Europe experienced 403 flight cancellations and 2,550 delays across Spain, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal, Austria, Albania, and Sweden due to coordinated disruptions.
Major airports impacted included Milan Malpensa with 117 cancellations and 89 delays, Amsterdam Schiphol with 23 cancellations and 328 delays, Paris Charles de Gaulle reporting 59 cancellations and 265 delays, and Rome Fiumicino with 7 cancellations and 222 delays. Zurich Airport had 4 cancellations and 237 delays, London Gatwick recorded 9 cancellations and 178 delays, Barcelona Airport faced 13 cancellations and 169 delays, London Heathrow had 26 cancellations and
142 delays, and Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport experienced 6 cancellations and 143 delays.
Air France faced the highest number of cancellations at 67 with 156 delays, while Ryanair reported 63 cancellations and 211 delays. Wizz Air Malta had 49 cancellations and 57 delays, mainly affecting Italy, Spain, and Albania. EasyJet saw 34 cancellations and 223 delays, primarily at London Gatwick, Geneva, Naples, and Milan Malpensa. British Airways recorded 26 cancellations and 65 delays mostly at London Heathrow. Vueling Airlines had 21 cancellations and 76 delays affecting Spain, Italy, and France. HOP! reported 16 cancellations mostly at Paris Charles de Gaulle,
KLM had 7 cancellations and 163 delays primarily at Amsterdam Schiphol, and ITA Airways accounted for a large share of delayed departures at Rome Fiumicino. Swiss and Helvetic also faced significant delays at Zurich.
The main cause was a 24-hour strike by ENAV air traffic control staff from 12:01 a.m. on July 5 to midnight on July 6, centered on Milan Malpensa and northern Italian airspace. The strike disrupted domestic, European, and international flights crossing northern Italy. Additional congestion at hubs including Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Barcelona, and London Heathrow added to the delays and cancellations.
Passengers through
major European airports on July 5 faced widespread disruption. Airlines affected included Air France, ITA Airways, Ryanair, easyJet, KLM, British Airways, and TAP Air Portugal, impacting both European and international routes.
