RYANAIR CALLS ON HEIDI ALEXANDER TO PROPERLY STAFF ATC SERVICES & ELIMINATE AVOIDABLE ATC DELAYS

Ryanair, UK’s No.1 airline, today (Fri, 6 June) called on Transport Minister Heidi Alexander to properly staff ATC services to eliminate the unnecessary and avoidable ATC delays being caused by NATS ATC staff shortages and mismanagement. Today alone over 6,500 Ryanair passengers travelling to/from the UK have been forced to suffer unnecessary delays due to NATS ATC staff shortages. It is not good enough.

Ryanair has long campaigned for reform to ensure ATCs are fully staffed but ATC delays are getting worse, as evidenced by today’s delays to/from the UK due to NATS staff shortages. Last week Ryanair launched its ATC “League of Delays”, highlighting the States whose short staffed and mismanaged ATCs are causing the worst delays for Ryanair flights and passengers in 2025. The UK ranks 5^th with 1,700 flights and 306,000 passengers delayed from 1 January to 2 June 2025.

Transport Ministers are responsible for their national ATC services. Heidi Alexander must not be allowed to preside over another year of record ATC delays due to mismanagement and staff shortages. Ryanair calls on all passengers to visit the ‘Air Traffic Control Ruined Your Flight’ webpage and use the template email to complain directly to their Transport Minister, and demand that these lazy politicians take action to properly staff ATC services and avoid unnecessary ATC delays this summer.