Eurocontrol reports rise in flights after US-Iran deal
According to Eurocontrol's weekly overview for 15–21 June 2026, the number of flights in the European network rose to a daily average of 35,319, up 1% week-on-week and 2% year-on-year. The increase was driven mainly by the recovery of flights between Europe and the Middle East following the US-Iran deal of 17 June.
According to Eurocontrol, traffic between Europe and the Middle East recovered quickly after the deal was signed: the number of flights on this route rose 11% week-on-week and 7% compared with the same period in 2025. The recovery was mainly driven by three major Gulf carriers – Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates – whose combined flight numbers in week 25 rose 16% compared with week 24.
- Average flights/day
- 35,319 week 25, 15–21 June 2026
- Week-on-week change
- +1%
- Year-on-year change
- +2%
- Europe–Middle East flights
- +11% w/w, +7% y/y
- Gulf carriers (3)
- +16% w/w
The ten busiest carriers, according to Eurocontrol, increased their capacity by an average of 1.1% compared with the previous week. The ten states with the highest flight volumes recorded a similar increase, also 1.1%.
Network punctuality improved compared with the same week in 2025: the share of flights arriving on schedule reached 76.0%, and departing on schedule 70.1%.
However, en-route air traffic flow management (ATFM) delays rose 38% week-on-week, reaching an average of about 80,000 minutes of delay per day, 11% more than in the same period of 2025. Total ATFM delay per flight stood at 2.83 minutes, of which 2.26 minutes were en-route and 0.57 minutes airport-related.
Causes and delay hotspots
- The most common cause of en-route ATFM delays was weather, accounting for 47% of all cases, most notably in France and Germany.
- The Reims centre contributed the most to en-route delays, with 2.80 minutes per flight.
- It was followed by Athens with 2.16 minutes, Barcelona with 1.86 minutes, Karlsruhe with 1.81 minutes and Makedonia with 1.32 minutes per flight.
Jet fuel prices averaged $2.87 per gallon as of 19 June 2026, down 19% from $3.53 per gallon recorded two weeks earlier. Compared with the March-April peak, this marks a 38% drop, though prices remain 27% above pre-crisis levels. Eurocontrol links this trend to the US-Iran deal, which led to the lifting of oil sanctions and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Eurocontrol also reported that in May 2026 it invoiced en-route charges totalling €1,071 million, up 1% from May 2025. The increase was due to a 1% rise in unit rates, only partly offset by a 1% decline in the total number of en-route service units.