Flights Cancelled Swept Europe As Rome, Malpensa, And 12 Others Cancel 230 And Delay 1,874, Disrupting Travel

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Flight cancellations further surged across Europe today as Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Germany, and Netherlands recorded 1,874 delays and 230 cancellations.
The affected airports include Rome Fiumicino, Catania, Lisbon, London Heathrow, Madrid-Barajas, Venice, London Gatwick, Paris Orly, Frankfurt, Malpensa, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam Schiphol, Berlin-Brandenburg, and Naples.
Among the airlines with the highest disruption counts were easyJet, Ryanair, Lufthansa, KLM, ITA Airways, and Air France. Catania recorded the highest number of cancellations at 120, while Frankfurt recorded 234 delays.
At Catania, volcanic ash from ongoing Mount Etna activity and weather conditions led to cancellations, with arrivals temporarily suspended during the disruption.

Airports Recording the Highest Flight Disruptions

Catania

Catania recorded 27 delays and 120 cancellations, giving it the highest cancellation count. Ryanair recorded 47 cancellations, followed by easyJet with 20 and ITA Airways with 16.

Frankfurt

Frankfurt recorded 234 delays and five cancellations, making it the airport with the highest number of delays. Lufthansa accounted for 91 delays, while Condor recorded 45 and Discover recorded 29. Frankfurt recorded a 17% departure delay rate.

Rome Fiumicino

Rome Fiumicino recorded 225 delays and 29 cancellations. ITA Airways accounted for 91 delays and 16 cancellations, while Ryanair recorded 29 delays and six cancellations. Rome Fiumicino recorded a 25% departure delay rate and a 15% arrival delay rate.

Paris Charles de Gaulle

Paris Charles de Gaulle reported 214 delays and 10 cancellations. Air France recorded 81 delays and six cancellations, while easyJet registered 19 delays. Paris Charles de Gaulle recorded a 21% departure delay rate and a 12% arrival delay rate.

Amsterdam Schiphol

Amsterdam Schiphol recorded 214 delays and 16 cancellations. KLM accounted for 100 delays and 10 cancellations, while Air France recorded four delays and two cancellations. Amsterdam Schiphol recorded a 16% departure delay rate and a 13% arrival delay rate.

Madrid-Barajas

Madrid-Barajas recorded 151 delays and five cancellations. Iberia registered 30 delays and two cancellations, while Ryanair recorded 30 delays and one cancellation. Madrid-Barajas recorded a 9% departure delay rate and a 24% arrival delay rate.

Malpensa

Malpensa reported 123 delays and 11 cancellations. easyJet recorded 32 delays and four cancellations, while Ryanair and Wizz Air Malta each recorded 17 delays. Malpensa recorded a 24% departure delay rate and a 16% arrival delay rate.

London Heathrow

London Heathrow recorded 142 delays and four cancellations. British Airways accounted for 75 delays, while Virgin Atlantic recorded nine. London Heathrow recorded a 9% arrival delay rate.

Airlines Recording the Highest Disruption Counts

easyJet

easyJet recorded 188 delays and 34 cancellations. Its delay total included 58 at London Gatwick, 32 at Malpensa, 20 at Catania, 20 at Naples, 19 at Paris Charles de Gaulle, 12 at Berlin-Brandenburg, nine at Paris Orly, and seven at Lisbon.

Ryanair

Ryanair recorded 132 delays and 64 cancellations. Its cancellations included 47 at Catania, while its delays included 30 at Madrid-Barajas, 29 at Rome Fiumicino, and 18 at Berlin-Brandenburg.

Lufthansa

Lufthansa recorded 122 delays. Its largest delay count came at Frankfurt, with 91, followed by 11 at Berlin-Brandenburg, six at Rome Fiumicino, five at London Heathrow, five at Catania, and four at Venice.

KLM

KLM recorded 111 delays and 12 cancellations. Amsterdam Schiphol accounted for 100 delays and 10 cancellations. The airline also recorded four delays at Berlin-Brandenburg, four at Paris Charles de Gaulle, three at Lisbon, and two cancellations at Catania.

ITA Airways

ITA Airways recorded 102 delays and 32 cancellations. Rome Fiumicino accounted for 91 delays and 16 cancellations, while Catania recorded one delay and 16 cancellations. Four additional delays were recorded at Amsterdam Schiphol and six at Naples.

Air France

Air France recorded 88 delays and two cancellations. Its largest delay total was at Paris Charles de Gaulle, where it recorded 81 delays and six cancellations. It also recorded three delays at Venice and four at Amsterdam Schiphol.

Steps Passengers Can Take When Flights Are Cancelled

• Check the airline’s website or app for the latest flight status.
• Contact the airline to ask about rebooking options.
• Check whether the airline has provided an alternative flight.
• Keep boarding passes, booking confirmations, and receipts for relevant expenses.
• Check the applicable passenger-rights rules for the departure country and itinerary.
• Arrive at the airport according to the airline’s latest instructions if traveling on a replacement flight.
• Contact the airport or airline before leaving for the airport if the flight status remains unclear.

Operational Factors Behind Flight Cancellations

Flight cancellations across Europe can result from several operational factors. These can include aircraft availability, crew scheduling, maintenance requirements, air traffic management restrictions, weather conditions, airport capacity, and knock-on effects from earlier flight disruptions.

At Catania, volcanic ash associated with ongoing Mount Etna activity, alongside weather conditions caused the cancellations. The airport operator suspended arrivals during the disruption, while the continuing volcanic activity has periodically affected flights serving the Sicilian airport.

Airlines may also adjust schedules when aircraft or crew cannot reach their planned departure points on time. Busy periods can make these operational adjustments more noticeable as delays at one airport or on one aircraft rotation can affect subsequent services.

European Flight Disruption Overview

The flight situation across Europe showed different patterns from one airport to another. Frankfurt and Rome Fiumicino recorded 234 and 225 delays respectively, while Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol each recorded 214 delays.

Cancellations were particularly concentrated at Catania, where 120 were recorded. Rome Fiumicino followed with 29, while Amsterdam Schiphol registered 16. Malpensa recorded 11, and Paris Charles de Gaulle recorded 10.

Among the airlines, easyJet recorded the highest number of delays at 188. Ryanair followed with 132, while Lufthansa recorded 122. KLM had 111 delays, ITA Airways recorded 102, and Air France had 88.

The cancellation picture was led by Ryanair with 64, followed by easyJet with 34 and ITA Airways with 32. Wizz Air Malta and Delta Air Lines each recorded 17 cancellations, while KLM recorded 12.

With disruption levels varying between London, Madrid, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Rome, and other major aviation centers, passengers are advised to check their flight status directly with their airline before traveling.

Flight cancellations were also reported yesterday. Read our earlier coverage here.

The data has been extensively curated by our editorial team using real-time aviation figures recorded on 26 September 2026 at 12:43 pm ET USA (4:43 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.

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

Verified by Somudranil Sarkar