Ranked: Airlines with the most delays and cancellations in 2025

We must admit, 2025 turned out to be a challenging year for air travel, with many airlines experiencing frequent delays and cancellations due to a range of factors. Even though passenger demand is the closest it has been to pre-pandemic levels, many airlines struggled to balance high traffic numbers with consistent operational issues, air traffic control restraints and weather disruptions. 

If you experienced a flight disruption in 2025, this ranking may help you when planning which airlines to choose for your next trip. In this article, we have ranked the airlines with the most delays and cancellations in 2025, based on SkyRefund's analysis of aviation data, as well as data released by various other aviation sources.

What airline had the most delays and cancellations in 2025? 

Based on our data, here’s a list of the top 10 airlines with the most delays and cancellations in 2025, ranked by the percentage of disruptions. 

1. Wizz Air

As outlined in the table above, Wizz Air was the airline that experienced the most flight cancellations and flight delays during 2025, with 16.2% of its flights being affected. While this does prove to be an improvement to 22.4% in 2024, the airline continues to battle with operational challenges, most notably on high-demand routes. 

Wizz Air is well known for being one of Europe's largest ultra-low-cost airlines, with routes across Central and Eastern Europe, the UK, and many popular holiday destinations. High passenger traffic throughout the year, paired with scheduling issues and airport capacity limitations, Wizz Air has resulted in continuous disruptions during 2025. 

The routes most affected included Dublin, Manchester and Belfast, where congestion and weather-related issues played a role. 

2. Ryanair

Similar to Wizz Air, Ryanair is a go-to low-cost airline, allowing passengers to fly to every corner of Europe at significantly lower fares than traditional airlines. In 2025, Ryanair reported 7.9% disrupted flights, an improvement from 10% in 2024, yet the figures still suggest that budget airlines can struggle to deliver operational efficiency. 

As Europe's largest airline, in terms of passenger numbers, Ryanair operates thousands of daily flights, which makes even slight disruptions quite visible. With that in mind, the airline has taken it upon itself to invest in operational resilience, such as schedule buffers and fleet optimisation, to help combat these disruptions. 

The most affected routes in 2025 were London and Tirana, both of which experienced heavy passenger traffic and air traffic control restrictions. 

3. EasyJet

Continuing with the theme of budget airlines, EasyJet is yet another popular airline which experienced many flight delays and cancellations in 2025. With a 6.4% disruption rate, compared to 3.8% in 2024, easyJet was not as inefficient as Wizz Air or Ryanair, but still ranks high as one of the airlines with the most delays and cancellations this year. 

EasyJet is known for operating an extensive short-haul network of flights to major cities and holiday destinations, with a particularly strong presence in the UK. 

During 2025, easyJet's most affected routes included Manchester, Belfast, and all London airports due to weather-related issues, air traffic control restrictions and overall airport congestion.  

4. British Airways

In 2025, British Airways experienced 5% disrupted flights, slightly improving from 5.6% in 2024. 

As the UK's flagship carrier, British Airways operates both short and long-haul flights worldwide, making it a much-loved and well-respected airline used by many. Heathrow, Gatwick, and London City act as major hubs for British Airways, making the airline's schedule very sensitive to operational delays and congestion. 

London, Orlando, and Barcelona were the most affected British Airways flights of 2025, with knock-on effects from delayed flights impacting schedules. 

5. Turkish Airlines

In 2025, Turkish Airlines faced 4.5% of its flights disrupted, up from 3.9% in 2024, which showcases a slight increase in operational challenges. The airline's extensive international network, teamed with its hub in Istanbul — one of Europe's busiest airports, means that delays are often difficult to avoid and result in knock-on effects network-wide. 

Turkish Airlines has an impressive reputation for serving more countries than any other airline globally, utilising Istanbul as a hub for regional and long-haul flights. Istanbul is one of the busiest airports in Europe and consistently welcomes millions of passengers. 

The destinations most impacted in 2025 were Islamabad, Manchester and Paris, which came down to operational issues and regional congestion. 

6. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Next on the list is KLM, which experienced 4.2% of flight delays and cancellations over the past year, a notable increase from 2.6% in 2024, signalling a rise in operational challenges. The airline has struggled with congestion at its hub in Amsterdam Schiphol — one of Europe's largest airports, which led to a ripple effect across both long and short-haul schedules. 

As the flagship carrier of the Netherlands, KLM is well known for its extensive route network, great service and often times, its efficiency; however, 2025 proved to be a challenging year. 

The most disrupted destinations were Dublin, Amsterdam and Boston, reflecting both European and transatlantic issues. 

7. Transavia Group

In 2025, Transavia experienced 3.6% of its flights disrupted, which was higher than 3% in 2024. Transavia is usually more stable than larger carriers, yet in 2025, it appeared that flight delays and cancellations peaked during the busier periods, especially on highly seasonal routes. 

As a low-cost subsidiary of the Air France-KLM group, Transavia primarily serves over 100 destinations across Europe and North Africa and has its main hub at Amsterdam Schiphol.

During 2025, Paris, Tunisia, and Venice were the most affected routes served by Transavia, where seasonal travel spikes were apparent.  

8. Lufthansa

Lufthansa recorded 3.2% of flight delays and cancellations in 2025, an improvement from 4% in 2024, showcasing an ongoing effort to stabilise its operational efficiency. 

Germany's largest airline, with hubs in both Frankfurt and Munich, Lufthansa is recognised for its wide network of domestic, European and international routes and is considered a major connector to Europe and beyond. Its hubs in two of the busiest airports in Europe make it vulnerable to delays due to congestion, which often leads to a ripple effect across other scheduled routes. 

In 2025, Lufthansa's most affected routes included Munich, Podgorica and Edinburgh, where air traffic control issues and airport constraints had the largest impact. 

9. Air Serbia

Air Serbia experienced 3.1% of flight disruptions in 2025, improving from 4.4% the year before, which showcases stronger operational stability compared to previous years. 

As Serbia's national carrier, Air Serbia operates from its hub in Belgrade (ranked one of Europe's most delayed airports in summer 2025) and features a broad network of direct flights across Europe, the Mediterranean, North America and Asia. 

The most affected Air Serbia routes throughout 2025 included Belgrade, Hurghada and Rhodes, which reflect seasonal travel peaks and regional congestion. 

10. Air France

Air France recorded 2.9% of flight delays and cancellations in 2025, which appeared to be a slight improvement from 3% in 2024. Overall, the airline's performance remains relatively stable, though long-haul operations and high passenger traffic in places like Paris occasionally result in delays. 

As Frances' main carrier, Air France is recognised for its excellent service and extensive global network, connecting over 200 destinations in 93 countries. It is part of the Air France-KLM group and is one of the founding members of the SkyTeam airline alliance. 

In 2025, Air France's most disrupted destinations were Nice, Paris and Kansai, where scheduling issues and congestion caused the highest number of delays and cancellations. 

Why were flights delayed or cancelled in 2025?

Throughout 2025, these airlines have faced many delays and cancellations, which were due to various issues, including bad weather, air traffic control (ATC) strikes, technical problems, and previously delayed flights, which had a knock-on effect. 

We all know that flight disruptions can be frustrating, but the good news is that if you have experienced a flight delay or cancellation, you may be eligible for compensation under EU261. If the reason for the delay or cancellation was proven to be within the airline's control, i.e., scheduling issues or technical problems which they could have solved, then you are eligible. 

In saying that, if the reason is beyond the control of the airline or deemed extraordinary circumstances, i.e., a bird strike, security threat or hidden mechanical issue, then you are not entitled to claim compensation. However, it is always wise to get a firm answer from the airline to check your eligibility. 

For passengers, delays, and cancellations can lead to missed connections, additional expenses and extended travel times, which can cause stress and anxiety. By knowing your rights under EU261, you can alleviate some financial stress by reclaiming additional costs from the airline, as long as you keep receipts as proof of purchase. 

Where to travel in 2026?

Looking ahead to 2026, airline performance is expected to gradually improve as operational systems begin to stabilise, and more regulations are put in place. Based on travel trends from 2024 and 2025, this current ranking will likely shift, particularly as some airlines like Lufthansa and Air France continue to invest in punctuality and fleet resilience.

Eurocontrol data suggests that air traffic growth will continue into 2026, with steady increases in daily flights as travel demands continue. However, with a prime focus on boosting strategic network measures, expanding capacity management, modernising technology, and prioritising staff availability to handle increased volumes, we could see fewer flight delays and cancellations next year. At least we can hope for fewer disruptions moving into the new year.

If planning to travel in 2026, passengers should remain proactive by monitoring flight status, knowing their rights, keeping travel documents accessible, and saving receipts in case of a travel disruption.

What is SkyRefund’s ranking based on?

SkyRefund’s ranking for 2025 is based on a combination of internal data and verified aviation sources, including Cirium, Eurocontrol, National Statistics Bureau, IATA, OAG, and official airline reports. 

We analysed tens of thousands of flights reported by passengers and cross-checked the information using airline schedules and tracking data.

Airlines were ranked according to the proportion of disrupted flights, defined as those delayed by more than three hours, cancelled within 14 days of departure, or affected by denied boarding. 

Only carriers with a substantial flight volume in our dataset were included, ensuring the ranking reflects meaningful operational trends.

How can SkyRefund help?

With a 98% success rate, SkyRefund makes claiming flight compensation straightforward, which is why it is trusted by over 1M passengers. With over 8 years of legal experience, we help passengers worldwide exercise their rights and claim the compensation they are entitled to. 

By knowing your passenger rights under international aviation laws, you can get what you are owed in the event of a delay or cancellation, and checking your compensation eligibility is just a click away.