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This summer is set to be an incredibly busy one. Air traffic has finally returned to near-normal, and more people than ever are taking to the skies to explore the world.
Some airports are coping well with the increased summer footfall, while others are floundering.
This is particularly true in Europe, where a mix of air traffic control strikes, baggage handler strikes, and even pilot strikes have led to increased delays.
But which are the airports in Europe that are struggling the most? Which airports should you avoid, and where can you fly instead?
According to new research conducted by Air Help, here are the 5 airports in Europe seeing the most delays and cancellations:
London Gatwick (LGW)
54.08% of flights from London Gatwick were found to be delayed or canceled. This makes Gatwick the airport where you are most likely to be inconvenienced by delays and cancellations in Europe.
London is set to be the most popular international vacation destination for American travelers this summer. But its airports don’t always have the best reputation.
As well as delays and cancellations at Gatwick, Heathrow Airport has experienced significant strike action this year.
But the good news is that, in joint first place with New York, London is the city with the most commercial airports in the world.
While the airport you use is often dictated by price or by the flight schedules from your departing airport, sometimes you will have a choice of London airports.
So if you have concerns about flying to either Gatwick or Heathrow, you could consider looking into flights to London City, London Stansted, London Luton, or London Southend airports instead.
Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS)
51.04% of flights from Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport were delayed or canceled.
Lisbon only has one airport, so travelers have little choice but to use this if they want to explore the beautiful city of Lisbon.
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Lisbon is the main international and domestic airport for all of Portugal and handles 14 million passengers per year.
With Portugal repeatedly topping lists as being the best and the most affordable vacation destination this summer, it is understandable that football at the airport is at such a high and that this is causing disruptions.
Copenhagen Kastrup Airport (CPH)
50.88% of flights from Copenhagen Kastrup Airport were delayed or canceled. This is the biggest airport in Denmark.
There is another airport in Copenhagen, but this is much smaller and does not handle commercial flights.
This means that if you’re hoping to fly into Copenhagen, then you have little choice but to fly into Copenhagen Kastrup Airport.
Paris Charles de Gaulle Aiport (CDG)
50.60% of flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport were delayed or canceled.
Charles de Gaulle is the biggest airport in France and the second busiest in Europe. The only European airport busier is Heathrow in London.
If you’re taking a transatlantic flight to Paris, then it’s likely that you’ll have little choice but to fly into Charles de Gaulle.
But Charles de Gaulle isn’t the only airport in Paris. Paris-Orly is the second of the two Paris airports, and although smaller, you can fly into Orly from most European countries.
Orly is only 10 km south of Paris, whereas Charles de Gaulle is 20km north of Paris. That means it is easier and quicker to travel to Paris from Orly than it is from Charles de Gaulle.
If you have a choice of airports and avoiding delays or cancellations is a priority, then Orly is likely to be a better choice.
Antalya Airport (AYT)
Finally, 47.34% of flights from Antalya Airport were delayed or canceled.
If you have planned a trip specifically to the Antalya coast then you have little choice but to use this airport and hope that your flight isn’t one of the ones that will be delayed or canceled.
But if you are planning a trip to wider Turkey then why not consider flying into Istanbul instead?
Istanbul was listed as one of the topmost reliable European airports with the least delays and cancellations. Only 32.15% of flights from Istanbul Havalimani Airport (IST) were disrupted.
Some of the best ways to avoid being a victim of flight cancellations include:
- Booking the first flight of the day. If one flight is canceled, then this may impact other flights from the same airport. The earlier your flight, the less likely it is that you’ll need to worry about these knock-on effects.
- Traveling on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Statistically, weekend flights are most likely to be canceled, while flights leaving on a Tuesday or Wednesday are the least likely to be canceled.
- Fly direct. Direct flights can be more expensive, but if you’re more concerned about your convenience than your budget then flying direct will minimize your risk of being subject to a flight delay or cancellation considerably.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com