Ryanair Reveals More Than 1,000 Flights Cancelled in September

Ryanair has revealed that more than 1,000 of its flights were cancelled during September, with the airline blaming a combination of air traffic control disruption, industrial action and volcanic activity.

The figures were released as part of Ryanair’s September traffic results, which showed the airline carried more than 20 million passengers during the month.

More than 1,000 flights cancelled

Ryanair operated more than 111,700 flights during September but said more than 1,000 were cancelled.

The airline attributed the cancellations to three major sources of disruption.

These included another UK air traffic control system failure, air traffic control strikes in Belgium and disruption caused by eruptions from Mount Etna in Sicily.

The UK ATC problems are particularly significant for British passengers because September saw major disruption across the country’s aviation network.

UK ATC problems

The latest figures come after another major failure within the UK’s air traffic control system in September.

The disruption affected flights across the UK, with airports including Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester among those experiencing delays and cancellations.

Ryanair has been highly critical of National Air Traffic Services, or NATS, following repeated technical failures.

The airline has argued that passengers and airlines continue to suffer the consequences of unreliable air traffic control infrastructure.

The September figures now provide an indication of the wider impact on Ryanair’s operation.

Passenger numbers still increased

Despite cancelling more than 1,000 flights, Ryanair carried 20.1 million passengers during September.

That represents a 4% increase compared with September 2025, when the airline carried 19.4 million passengers.

The airline’s load factor remained at 94%.

Ryanair operated more than 111,700 flights during the month, highlighting the scale of its operation across Europe.

Pressure on UK air traffic control

The latest figures are likely to add further pressure on the UK’s air traffic control system.

The September failures came after previous major incidents affecting UK airspace, with airlines continuing to call for improvements to reliability.

For passengers, ATC failures can quickly create knock-on disruption across the network, even when the initial technical problem is relatively short-lived.

Once flights are delayed or cancelled, aircraft and crew can be left out of position, creating further disruption later in the day.

What happens next?

Ryanair has continued to call for improvements to Europe’s air traffic control system, while the UK faces wider questions over the reliability and resilience of its aviation infrastructure.

The September figures also highlight how disruption outside the UK can have an impact on British travellers, with strikes and volcanic activity contributing to the overall cancellation total.

For Ryanair, however, passenger numbers continued to grow despite the disruption.

The airline carried more than 20 million passengers during the month and maintained a 94% load factor.

The figures underline both the continued strength of demand for air travel and the potential impact that infrastructure failures can have on airline operations.