This weekend, flights across Europe face delays from thunderstorms in Spain, Italy, and the Balkans, alongside air traffic staff shortages in Greece and strikes in Belgrade. Spain’s Palma airport is a declared hotspot. Ferries and trains remain on schedule but will be extremely busy.
General Flight Situation
Around 33,400 flights expected on Saturday.Main disruptions: ATC staff shortages in Greece, industrial action in Serbia (Belgrade airspace), and isolated thunderstorms in Spain, the Balearics, and Italy.Military exercises in Denmark and Finland continue but with little impact on commercial flights.Flight Hotspots
United Kingdom & Ireland
Gatwick (London): Afternoon arrival restrictions from high demand.Newcastle: Several periods of staffing shortages leading to possible overnight and early morning delays.South of England & Wales airspace: High demand sectors on Saturday morning, which may slow departures from Heathrow, Gatwick, and Bristol.Manchester departures: Brief flow restrictions early morning on Saturday.Spain
Barcelona airspace: High demand from 08:00–15:00, leading to delays on morning and midday flights.Madrid: Early morning capacity restrictions.Palma de Mallorca: Declared hotspot due to high passenger demand and thunderstorms forecast, especially Saturday morning and afternoon.Seville and Southern Spain: Multiple sectors under high demand between 09:00–14:00, creating likely delays.Gran Canaria: Ongoing runway works continue to cause small delays.France & Switzerland
Paris Charles de Gaulle: One main runway remains closed for long-term works, limiting capacity at busy times.Reims & Strasbourg regions: Staffing shortages and capacity restrictions through Saturday, particularly in the morning and early afternoon.Geneva: Reduced arrival capacity due to a new operating system; delays possible at peak hours.Marseille: Airspace restrictions in place, with limited rerouting options.Greece
Athens and Islands (Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Zakynthos, Kefalonia, Santorini, Chania, Corfu): Arrivals heavily regulated all day due to controller shortages and high traffic. Long delays expected.Aegean winds: Strong northerly gusts may add weather disruption.Balkans
Belgrade airspace: Industrial action continues, reducing airspace capacity by around 10%. Expect moderate to high delays, especially at peak times.Elsewhere
Amsterdam Schiphol: Arrival restrictions early morning on Saturday.Lisbon: Busy Saturday afternoon arrivals.Milan and Rome: Thunderstorms forecast, likely to slow evening arrivals.Warsaw & Kraków: Night-time works causing overnight disruption.Weather Highlights
Saturday 23 August:Spain & Balearics: Thunderstorms likely in Barcelona, Palma, and Menorca.Italy (Milan, Rome): Thunderstorms expected Saturday evening.Germany & Poland (Berlin, Hamburg, Warsaw): Showers and isolated storms.Nordics & Baltics: Showers and storms in Stockholm, Helsinki, and Copenhagen.Sunday 24 August: Weather calmer, but storm risk remains across southern Europe.Rail and Ferry Update
Services from Portsmouth and Plymouth to Santander and Bilbao operating normally, but sailings are heavily booked.UK–France Ferries & Eurotunnel
Dover–Calais and Folkestone–Calais crossings very busy this weekend. No weather disruption expected. Allow longer times for boarding and passport checks.Spanish Mainland–Canary Islands Ferries
Cádiz and Huelva departures running on time, but long queues expected due to peak summer traffic.Services on time, but most weekend trains are fully booked. Arrive early for security and boarding.Spain Rail (Renfe & Adif)
AVE high-speed trains running on time, though Saturday and Sunday departures from Madrid and Barcelona are close to full capacity.Valencia–Tarragona overnight works continue to affect a handful of late services.The post Weekend Flight and Travel Update: 23–24 August 2025 first appeared on N332 Radio.