Flights Cancelled Swept Europe As London And Other Major Airports Cancel 150 And Delay 2,110 Flights

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Flight cancellations continued as Europe remains under pressure today, with 2,110 delays and 150 cancellations across Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, and Norway. The disruption comes as an air traffic controller strike in Norway forces major restrictions at Oslo Gardermoen, while busy European hubs including London Gatwick, Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Rome Fiumicino also report substantial delays.
Among the airlines most affected are easyJet, with 253 delays and nine cancellations, SAS, with 41 cancellations, Norwegian Air Shuttle, with 86 delays and 28 cancellations, ITA Airways, with 106 delays, Air France, with 93 delays and five cancellations, and Vueling Airlines, with 92 delays.

The Latest European Aviation Disruption at a Glance

• Norway: The strike by air traffic controllers has forced Oslo Gardermoen to shut down for at least five hours, with only limited operations expected later.
• United Kingdom: London Gatwick recorded 241 delays and seven cancellations, while London Heathrow saw 159 delays and five cancellations.
• Italy: Rome Fiumicino recorded 238 delays and two cancellations, while Milan Malpensa registered 131 delays and three cancellations.
• France: Paris Charles de Gaulle reported 234 delays and nine cancellations.
• Netherlands: Amsterdam Schiphol recorded 201 delays and 11 cancellations.
• Spain: Barcelona saw 199 delays and 11 cancellations, while Madrid-Barajas recorded 193 delays and four cancellations.
• Switzerland: Zurich recorded 154 delays and eight cancellations.
• Norway: Bergen Flesland reported 57 delays and 13 cancellations, while Oslo Gardermoen recorded 202 delays and 75 cancellations.

Europe’s Busiest Disruption Hotspots

Oslo Gardermoen, Norway

Oslo Gardermoen recorded 202 delays and 75 cancellations, by far the largest cancellation total. SAS accounted for 31 cancellations, Norwegian Air Shuttle for 21, and Norwegian Air Sweden for 10.

London Gatwick, United Kingdom

London Gatwick recorded 241 delays and seven cancellations. easyJet accounted for 126 delays and five cancellations, making it the most affected airline at the airport.

Rome Fiumicino, Italy

Rome Fiumicino recorded 238 delays and two cancellations. ITA Airways accounted for 106 delays, while Ryanair recorded 19 and Wizz Air Malta reported 14.

Paris Charles de Gaulle, France

Paris Charles de Gaulle registered 234 delays and nine cancellations. Air France accounted for 90 delays and five cancellations, while Delta Air Lines recorded four delays and three cancellations.

Amsterdam Schiphol, Netherlands

Amsterdam Schiphol recorded 201 delays and 11 cancellations. KLM experienced 77 delays and seven cancellations, while easyJet recorded 23 delays and two cancellations.

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona saw 199 delays and 11 cancellations. Vueling Airlines accounted for 76 delays, while Ryanair recorded 17 and easyJet recorded 16.

Madrid-Barajas, Spain

Madrid-Barajas recorded 193 delays and four cancellations. Iberia registered 28 delays, followed by Air Nostrum and Iberia Express with 21 and 19 respectively.

London Heathrow, United Kingdom

London Heathrow recorded 159 delays and five cancellations. British Airways accounted for 78 delays, while Virgin Atlantic recorded five delays and two cancellations.

Zurich, Switzerland

Zurich registered 154 delays and eight cancellations. Swiss accounted for 49 delays and four cancellations, while SAS recorded two cancellations.

Milan Malpensa, Italy

Milan Malpensa recorded 131 delays and three cancellations. easyJet was responsible for 41 delays, while Wizz Air Malta recorded 13 and Vueling Airlines 10.

Málaga, Spain

Málaga recorded 101 delays and two cancellations. easyJet and Ryanair each recorded 15 delays, while Norwegian Air Shuttle recorded two.

Bergen Flesland, Norway

Bergen Flesland recorded 57 delays and 13 cancellations. Widerøe accounted for seven cancellations, while SAS recorded four and Norwegian Air Shuttle two.

Airlines Bearing the Brunt of Europe’s Flight Disruptions

easyJet

easyJet recorded the highest number of delays across the airports, with 253 in total. Its largest concentration came at London Gatwick, where 126 flights were delayed, alongside 41 at Milan Malpensa, 23 at Amsterdam Schiphol, 23 at Paris Charles de Gaulle, 16 at Barcelona, 15 at Málaga, and nine at Rome Fiumicino. The airline also recorded nine cancellations.

ITA Airways

ITA Airways recorded 106 delays, all at Rome Fiumicino. The Italian carrier had no cancellations in the figures reported across these airports.

Air France

Air France recorded 93 delays, including 90 at Paris Charles de Gaulle and three at Barcelona. It also recorded five cancellations at Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Vueling Airlines

Vueling Airlines recorded 92 delays, led by 76 at Barcelona. It also recorded 10 delays at Milan Malpensa and six at Málaga, with no cancellations reported in these figures.

Norwegian Air Shuttle

Norwegian Air Shuttle recorded 86 delays across the airports, including 72 at Oslo Gardermoen and five at Bergen Flesland. It also recorded 28 cancellations, making it the second-highest airline for cancellations.

British Airways

British Airways recorded 81 delays, including 78 at London Heathrow and three at London Gatwick. It recorded two cancellations at London Heathrow and one at London Gatwick.

Ryanair

Ryanair recorded 77 delays across the airports, including 19 each at Rome Fiumicino and Madrid-Barajas, 17 at Barcelona, 15 at Málaga, and seven at Milan Malpensa.

What Passengers Facing Flight Cancellations Should Do

• Check the airline’s latest flight status before leaving for the airport.
• Contact the airline directly if a flight has been cancelled or substantially disrupted.
• Ask about rebooking options on the earliest available alternative service.
• Keep boarding passes, booking confirmations, and receipts for disruption-related expenses.
• Arrive at the airport only after confirming that the replacement flight is operating.
• Allow additional travel time because airport congestion can increase during extensive disruption.
• Check connecting-flight arrangements carefully if the cancelled service forms part of a larger itinerary.

Why European Flights Are Being Disrupted Today

Several operational pressures can contribute to flight cancellations and delays across Europe at the same time. Air traffic control restrictions, staffing constraints, aircraft rotations, crew availability, airport congestion, weather conditions, and knock-on delays from earlier flights can all affect schedules.

The situation in Norway adds another significant pressure point. Air traffic controllers launched a strike before the weekend, prompting the shutdown of Oslo Gardermoen on Sunday morning. Flights were cancelled for at least five hours, with only limited departures and arrivals afterward.

The disruption has also extended beyond Oslo, affecting air travel across Norway, including Bergen, Stavanger, and Trondheim, as airports operated by Avinor experience the consequences of the strike.

Europe’s Flight Disruption Picture Remains Uneven

The scale of disruption varies considerably from one European hub to another. London Gatwick recorded 241 delays, while London Heathrow registered 159. In Italy, Rome Fiumicino reached 238 delays compared with 131 at Milan Malpensa.

In Spain, Barcelona and Madrid-Barajas recorded 199 and 193 delays respectively, while Málaga reported 101. Paris Charles de Gaulle reached 234 delays and Amsterdam Schiphol recorded 201.

The strongest cancellation pressure is concentrated in Norway, where Oslo Gardermoen recorded 75 cancellations and Bergen Flesland another 13. Amsterdam Schiphol and Barcelona each recorded 11 cancellations, while Zurich registered eight and London Gatwick seven.

For passengers travelling through Oslo, Bergen, London, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, or Madrid, the disruption means schedules can change quickly as airlines and airports work through the operational effects.

Flight cancellations were also reported yesterday. Read our previous report here.

The data has been extensively curated by our editorial team using real-time aviation figures recorded on 23 August 2026 at 1:03 pm ET USA (5:03 pm GMT)

Primary Source: FlightAware.

Verification Protocol: All statistics have been independently reviewed and cross-checked by our human editorial desk. Timestamped records, data logs and feed snapshots are securely archived internally to support historical accuracy and editorial transparency.

Note: Real-time flight-tracking figures reflect active airspace and operational data. Minor variations may occur when compared with information displayed at individual airport terminals or airline departure gates.

Travellers are advised to check directly with their respective airlines and airports for the latest flight status, schedule changes and operational updates.