Bad weather, mainly thunderstorms, that hit Europe in July led to increased aircraft delays on the continent, Eurocontrol, the European air traffic monitoring body, announced on Tuesday.
Delays due to bad weather multiplied by 2.5 in July compared to July 2022, while the number of flights, which for the first time exceeded one million since September 2019 with 1,019 million takeoffs and landings, did not grow by just 7 % over one year.
6% increase in flight delays in July
“The main impact comes from convective storms (electric storms, etc.), especially in Germany, Hungary and Serbia,” according to the organization that brings together 41 countries on the continent. These thunderstorm masses, charged with electricity and conducive to high winds, can cause pilots to veer off their intended path, causing delays.
In total, the delay per flight increased by 6% in July, but fell by 23% if weather delays are not taken into account, Eurocontrol points out. Last summer, the resumption of air traffic in Europe had been the source of significant delays, many companies and airports were not prepared to accommodate the increase in passengers after the pandemic.
Source: BFM TV
