The summer holidays are fast approaching and millions of Brits will be jetting off across Europe to enjoy warmer climes. Going away may be exciting but it can also be stressful, with some airports being notorious for delays. But it's perhaps surprising to learn that it's not necessarily the biggest and most busy airports that are the very worst for holding up your travel plans.
Experts at Northerner analysed data to help determine which are the worst airports when it comes to delays. They looked at the total minutes of pre-departure delays from 2020 to 2025 and then divided them by the number of reported departures to obtain an average delay time in minutes for each airport.
Luxembourg may be a magical place to visit but the country’s airport was declared the worst in Europe when it comes to delays. It scored an abysmal travel disruption score of 9.89/10 despite seeing a steady flow of visitors throughout the year all seeking its rich history, cultural experiences and beautiful landscapes.
As the country's sole international airport, visitors can expect nearly a 50 minute average delay time when travelling through this airport.
Naples (LIRN), Italy came in at second for the worst airport in Europe with a travel disruption score of 9.79/10.
Despite the airport being the fourth busiest in southern Italy, travellers can expect an average delay of 27.5 minutes when flying through this airport during the summer season.
Mohammed V International (GMMN), Morocco was the third worst airport in Europe with a travel disruption Score of 9.68/10.
According to the data, travellers can expect an average delay of 26.5 minutes, making it one of the best to avoid according to the data.
Italy featured three of its airports in the top ten worst, with some reasons due to factors such as staffing shortages and strikes, particularly during peak travel seasons.
According to Northerner, Europe’s top 10 worst airports for delays are:
