French air traffic control has long been the subject of criticism. Eurocontrol, which manages European airspace, reports that by 2025, French air traffic control alone will have generated 36% of all air delays in Europe. This is nearly two and a half times more than in Germany (14%) and Spain (13%). Eurocontrol has also singled out the Marseille air traffic control centre. In 2025, this centre caused an average delay of 2.6 minutes per flight, compared with an average of 1.7 minutes across Europe.
According to a Senate report published at the end of June, France is said to have accumulated approximately 6.6 million minutes of flight delays in 2025, a level considered particularly high on a European scale. The document, which focuses on the performance of the air navigation services directorate, also estimates that these malfunctions have generated nearly 800 million euros in losses for airlines, while significantly degrading the passenger experience.
Rigidity and obsolescence of the system
Before the National Federation of Aviation and its Trades (FNAM), the Minister of Transport Philippe Tabarot acknowledged on July 1st that the French system was not coping with the volume of traffic passing through national airspace. He mentioned a need for profound modernisation, both in terms of organisation and technical tools, while defending the reforms already undertaken. Performance is not yet where it should be in our country, but as you know, I have initiated a thorough reform.„ , said Philippe Tabarot, during the FNAM annual congress.
The parliamentary report indeed implicates several structural factors. Among these is a staffing structure deemed too rigid, which does not allow resources to be sufficiently adapted to fluctuations in traffic according to the time of day, day of the week, or season. The senators also highlight the obsolescence of the technical aspects of air traffic control, considered a major impediment to traffic flow.
According to their findings, these limits would place France among the least efficient air navigation systems in Europe in terms of punctuality, despite having among the highest traffic on the continent.
Beyond the figures, airlines have been warning for months about the operational impact of these cascading delays, particularly during summer peaks, when tensions on the European air traffic network intensify.
Improvement in 2026
Facing these criticisms, the Minister of Transport is advocating for a more positive dynamic in 2026. « Over the first five months of the year, delays have fallen by 35% compared with the ‘annus horribilis’ of 2025, whilst traffic has grown by 2.2% over the same period. The situation is improving, but there is still much to be done ', he stressed at the FNAM congress.
Philippe Tabarot highlights several levers that have already been activated: recruitment of air traffic controllers, more flexible work organisation to better absorb periods of high demand, and gradual transformation of the system's internal operations.
He nevertheless acknowledges that these reforms take time, due to the complexity of the sector and the high demands of aviation safety. The stated objective remains to improve the resilience of the system while supporting traffic growth.
It is true that France holds a geostrategic position in European air traffic, with airspace that is among the busiest on the continent. In June 2026, the country reportedly even reached a monthly record for controlled traffic, usually observed more during the summer period.
This intensification of traffic is placing increased pressure on an already strained system, where any disruption can quickly have repercussions across the entire European network. The pursuit, as well as the accentuation of the modernisation of air navigation, is an essential subject for us, with a goal of being at least in the European average. ", commented Pascal de Izaguirre, president of the FNAM.
For airlines, the issue now goes beyond mere punctuality: it affects the competitiveness of the French hub and the attractiveness of national airports, starting with Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle. The platform's ambitions to be continental Europe's leading hub could be hampered in the long run...
