The aviation industry in Europe has somewhat stabilised after years of turbulence, and the Nordic region, in particular, has seen performance improvements.
However, recent data shows significant variation within the region.
So, which Nordic country is the worst off when it comes to flight disruptions?
READ MORE: Which airlines in Norway are the worst for delays and cancellations?
The worst Nordic performers
Iceland ranked as the worst performer in the Nordics in 2024 in terms of the share of total disrupted flights, with 3.36 percent of flights disrupted, followed by Denmark at 1.73 percent and Norway at 1.59 percent, according to data published by Skycop, a flight compensation company.
This means Norway and Denmark had a higher than average disruption rate when compared with the rest of Europe, according to Skycop's figures.
Sweden and Finland had the best performance among the Nordics, with disruption rates of 1.33 percent and 0.60 percent, respectively.
However, Finland's numbers marked a notable decline compared to 2023, when it had the lowest disruption rate in Europe.
Which country had the most delays overall?
In 2024, Norway recorded the highest number of total disrupted flights among the Nordic countries, with 9,454 flights affected.
Denmark followed with 4,818 disrupted flights, while Sweden reported 4,431 disruptions. Iceland, despite its smaller aviation market, saw 2,627 disrupted flights.
Finland had the fewest disruptions at 999 flights.
READ MORE: What are your rights if your journey in Norway is disrupted by the weather
Factors behind flight disruptions in the Nordics
Flight disruptions in Nordic countries are largely driven by weather conditions, technical failures, air traffic control (ATC) challenges, and operational issues, Sigitas Kaciusis, head of operations at Skycop, told The Local.
"This is a common picture in most countries. However, these countries [the Nordics] have fewer disruptions related to ATC issues that are very common in, for example, France," Kaciusis explained.
One notable improvement across most Nordic countries in 2024 was the stabilisation of airline operations following the post-pandemic recovery challenges of 2023.
"Most of the airlines had fewer disrupted flights (in 2024). 2023 was a year of speedy recovery that caused operational challenges for the airlines, with staff shortages being the most significant one," Kaciusis added.
Finland, however, saw an increase in disrupted flights in 2024, reversing its previous position as a leader in the region.
This was primarily due to a December pilot strike that significantly impacted Finnair's operations.
Additionally, mass cancellations occurred due to GPS interference at Tartu Airport, further contributing to the decline in performance.
Despite these challenges, the Nordic region as a whole continues to outperform much of Europe in terms of non-disrupted departures.
This success can be attributed to several factors.
"Better ATC performance, no overcrowded airports (like Amsterdam or London Heathrow), and fewer incidents related to unruly passenger behaviour," Kaciusis said.
How do Norway, Sweden and Denmark compare to the rest of Europe?
The Nordic countries remain among the better-performing regions in Europe.
In 2024, nearly 218,000 flights across Europe were delayed by more than three hours or cancelled, accounting for 1.5 percent of all flights, according to Skycop data.
While this was a slight improvement from 2023, it still translated to an estimated 6.5 billion euros in potential compensation under the EU261 regulation.
The worst-performing aviation markets last year included Luxembourg, where 2.8 percent of flights were disrupted, followed by the Netherlands at 2.7 percent, Iceland at 2.6 percent, and Germany at 2.2 percent.
Major markets like the UK and France also exceeded the European average, with disruption rates of 1.8 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively.
Conversely, the lowest disruption rates were recorded in Latvia (0.5 percent), Lithuania (0.6 percent), and Greece (0.8 percent).
Other strong performers included Estonia, Slovakia, and Slovenia, each with a disruption rate of 0.9 percent. Sweden also fared well, with a disruption rate of 1.3 percent, placing it alongside Malta and Spain.
The likelihood of encountering a disrupted flight varied by season, peaking in July at 2.4 percent and hitting its lowest point in September at 1 percent.
European airlines and airports showed modest improvement from 2023, when 1.8 percent of departing flights faced significant delays or cancellations.
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