British holidaymakers travelling to Europe issued with flight delay warning this summer

Brits travelling abroad on their holidays this summer have been issued with a flight delay warning. The warning applies to anyone travelling to Europe during the busy summer season.

Eurocontrol, the organisation which manages European airspace, said that ‘high overloads’ of flight traffic could prove to be a problem for people travelling. Raúl Medina, Eurocontrol’s director-general, said: "This summer in Europe is challenging as we have less available airspace because of the war in Ukraine and the military needs.

"We need everyone to play their part. Airports need to be well staffed, it is vital [air traffic services] provide enough capacity and airlines stick to their schedules.

"Recent industrial action caused many delays. We can manage situations like that in quieter periods but if it happens in the middle of summer it will be much more challenging."

Willie Walsh, head of the International Air Transport Association, said the disruption in June was ‘well beyond what is normal for the time of year’.

He added: “We have the chaotic situation where we’re seeing almost daily air traffic control strikes, which doesn’t just disrupt traffic in France but right across Europe because it forces airlines to reroute to other countries.”

The warning comes after previous years have also been hit with travel delays during the peak season. Last year airports were hit with chaos due to the disruption caused by Covid-related staff shortages, as well as strike action causing issues with passport control and border force.