A significant increase in flights to Europe was recorded during the summer holiday period from July to August, despite disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East, according to Eurocontrol data. Albania was also listed among the most visited destinations.
According to the European aviation safety organization, Europe recorded an average of 35,959 flights per day, an increase of 2.4% compared with 2025, while a record 37,640 flights were recorded on Friday, July 10.
Despite the increase across the continent, 72.6% of flights arrived on time, 1.2 percentage points higher than in 2025.
France remained the country with the highest number of delays caused by air traffic management issues, accounting for 32% of all delays.
Although Eurocontrol acknowledged that the US-Iran war “affected” this year’s tourist season, the conflict also prompted many Europeans to spend their holidays within their own continent, which is widely considered safer.
Which tourist destinations benefited the most?
The Eurocontrol report shows that the conflict led to lower traffic in Bulgaria, Hungary and Turkey, but a “high increase”in traffic to countries including Albania, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia, with “continued growth in southwestern Europe.”
Record passenger numbers at Greek airports pushed the country’s air traffic control system to the limits of its capacity, particularly during the peak season.
Fourteen countries recorded their highest-ever daily traffic levels this summer in terms of arrivals and departures, including Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Moldova, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain and Turkey.
Several airlines and airline groups also recorded record traffic, including Aegean, Air Serbia, easyJet, Jet2.com, Pegasus, Royal Air Maroc, Ryanair, Sky Express, SunExpress, Turkish Airlines and Wizz Air.
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