PARIS—Flights in Europe exceeded 1 million in a month for the first time since September 2019 as July traffic rose 7% year-over-year, according to European air traffic management organization Eurocontrol.

The network manager says around half of its member states, particularly those in southeast Europe, experienced traffic levels at or above those of July 2019.

Extreme weather in the region has affected operations, Eurocontrol adds. Weather-related air traffic flow management (ATFM) delays during July, in which the continent was hit by storms and extreme heatwaves, were more than two and half times the 2022 figure.

Eurocontrol says the worst impact came from convective weather, including thunderstorms, especially in Germany, Hungary and Serbia, with the largest weather delays at Frankfurt, London Gatwick and Munich airports.

Leaving aside the weather factor, ATFM delays per flight would have reduced by almost a quarter to 2.5 min. per flight. But taking the weather into account, the delay grew to 4.1 min. per flight, up from 3.9 min.

Overall punctuality—which also includes knock-on delays, airline delays and delays on the ground—improved compared to July 2022, but was still below the 2019 level.

“The improvements in network performance in July show that close cooperation between all operational partners is delivering good results,” Eurocontrol says. “Looking to August, Eurocontrol will continue to do its utmost, in full partnership with operational stakeholders, to minimize delays and improve overall punctuality.”  

Since September 2022, Eurocontrol has been working with airlines, air network service providers, airports, and the military to manage what was expected to be a complex summer in 2023—marked by an increase in travel demand, up to 20% less airspace because of the Russia-Ukraine war, increased structural volatility, and potential disruptions.

The partners identified actions including prioritizing first rotation, flight plan adherence, realistic schedules, and delivering agreed capacities that they hoped would help the summer run more smoothly.

The better performance comes after a chaotic summer 2022, when surging demand for travel following the lockdowns and restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with airport, security, and ground handling staff shortages to create widespread travel disruption.

Airlines reporting quarterly results in recent weeks have pointed to a smoother summer season in 2023 so far, following measures put in place by airports to increase their staffing levels and better manage flows of passengers, as well as preparations by the airlines themselves.