- Aer Lingus recorded highest summer delay rate in Europe at 49.3pc
- ITA Airways second at 46.8pc
- easyJet recorded 46.5pc and Ryanair 45.6pc
- Lufthansa recorded delay rate of 25pc
- Aer Lingus cut 2pc of summer schedule in April
Aer Lingus has recorded the highest rate of summer flight delays in Europe at 49.3pc according to data published by passenger rights portal Flightright. The Irish carrier topped the negative ranking for airline punctuality during the peak summer travel season meaning nearly half of its scheduled flights experienced disruptions. Behind Aer Lingus several other major European short-haul carriers struggled significantly with punctuality over the summer.
ITA Airways recorded 46.8pc of flights delayed, easyJet recorded 46.5pc and Ryanair recorded 45.6pc. By comparison Germany’s Lufthansa managed a notably better punctuality performance recording a delay rate of 25pc. While Aer Lingus struggled heavily with flight delays it did not lead Europe in outright cancellations. Dutch carrier KLM topped the summer cancellation metrics at 2.2pc followed closely by both easyJet and British Airways at 1.9pc.
The high delay rate for Aer Lingus follows a turbulent setup to its summer operations. Earlier in April the airline was forced to proactively cut roughly 2pc of its total summer schedule affecting an estimated 23,000 passengers due to mandatory maintenance requirements on its aircraft fleet.
