During the summer holiday season of July–August 2026, European skies recorded their busiest period ever, even as the ongoing Middle‑East conflict continued to cause regional disruptions.
Eurocontrol, the continent’s aviation safety authority, reported an average of 35,959 flights per day across Europe this summer—a 2.4 % increase over 2025. The highest daily total, 37,640 flights, occurred on Friday, 10 July.
Punctuality improved, with 72.6 % of flights arriving on time, up 1.2 percentage points compared with the previous year.
Air‑traffic‑control issues remained a key source of delays, with France accounting for roughly one‑third of all such disruptions on the continent.
While Eurocontrol noted that the US‑Iran war “influenced” this year’s tourist season, the conflict also drove many Europeans to choose intra‑European destinations perceived as safer.
Which tourism destinations benefitted most?
Eurocontrol’s report highlighted a notable shift in travel patterns. Bulgaria, Hungary and Türkiye experienced reduced passenger volumes, whereas countries such as Albania, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia saw a sharp increase. Southwest Europe, in particular, recorded sustained growth.
Greece’s airports were especially stressed, with record passenger numbers pushing its air‑traffic‑control system to the limit during peak periods.
Fourteen nations posted all‑time highs in daily arrivals and departures this summer: Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Moldova, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain and Türkiye.
Airlines reporting record traffic include Aegean, Air Serbia, easyJet, Jet2.com, Pegasus, Royal Air Maroc, Ryanair, Sky Express, SunExpress, Turkish Airlines and Wizzair.