Ryanair brands Spain Europe's worst country for air traffic delays

Ryanair has called on the Spanish government to intervene urgently over worsening capacity and staffing shortages in the country's air traffic control system, claiming Spain has now overtaken France as the worst air traffic control provider in Europe.

According to data released by the Irish budget carrier, air traffic control delays in Spain have surged by 28 per cent so far this year, affecting more than 32,600 flights and nearly six million passengers. The airline stated that almost one in every ten of its flights operating in Spanish airspace has suffered delays linked to Enaire, the state-owned air navigation authority.

The airline singled out area control centres in Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville as the worst performers, blaming chronic understaffing and insufficient operational planning for disrupting more than 15,700 Ryanair flights. Eurocontrol, the European organisation for the safety of air navigation, has flagged all three control hubs as requiring special measures to cope with remaining summer traffic.

Ryanair Chief Operations Officer Neal McMahon rejected claims by Enaire that its 70-point action plan introduced earlier this season would resolve the disruption. "If the measures were working, delays would be decreasing," McMahon said. "Instead, Spain now leads Europe in air traffic control delays, damaging travel plans and hurting Spain's reputation as a top European tourism destination."

Regional hubs are feeling the strain of the national breakdown. At Seville's San Pablo Airport, where Ryanair operates 40 per cent of flights, passenger numbers rose by nearly ten per cent this year to surpass six million users. Despite the growth, local business leaders and airlines have criticized the government for allocating just 235 million euros in airport infrastructure funding - significantly less than smaller regional airports like Tenerife South and Alicante - while maintaining limited operating hours compared to other major Spanish gateways.

Enaire defended its record, stating that air traffic management delays fell by 20 per cent in July and that Seville's control centre achieved a nearly 30 per cent reduction in delays despite managing a six per cent rise in flight volume. The authority attributed broader national delays to a rapid post-pandemic recovery, noting Spanish air traffic has grown by nearly 20 per cent compared to pre-2020 levels, outpacing recovery rates in France and Germany.