Why does Ryanair cancel so many flights? The real reasons
24 March 2026
Why does Ryanair cancel so many flights? The real reasons
“Ryanair cancelled my flight” is one of the most searched phrases on Google when it comes to air travel. Ryanair is without doubt the most discussed airline in Europe: the largest by passengers carried, the cheapest by fares and, according to social media, the most problematic for cancellations and delays. But reality is more nuanced than that.
The numbers, first of all
To understand the phenomenon, let’s start with the data. Ryanair operates over 3,000 flights per day and carries more than 180 million passengers per year. It’s the largest European carrier by a wide margin, with a fleet of over 500 Boeing 737s.
When an airline operates 3,000 flights a day, even a 1% cancellation rate means 30 cancelled flights every day. In absolute terms it sounds like a lot, but as a percentage it’s within the industry average — in fact, often below it.
According to EUROCONTROL data and Ryanair’s public statistics, the average cancellation rate in Europe is around 1.5-2.5% depending on the period. Ryanair generally sits in the lower end of this range. Ryanair’s punctuality (flights arriving within 15 minutes of schedule) is around 78-82%, in line with other European majors.
So why is the perception so negative? Because with 180 million passengers, even a low disruption rate produces millions of unhappy passengers in absolute terms. And those passengers all go on social media.
The real reasons behind Ryanair cancellations
That said, there are structural reasons why Ryanair is more vulnerable to disruptions than other airlines.
1. The high-rotation model
Ryanair operates on a model of maximum aircraft utilisation. A single Boeing 737 can operate 6-8 flights a day, with ground turnarounds of about 25 minutes. This means the aircraft you’re supposed to take at 18:00 in Naples has already flown 4-5 legs that day, possibly starting from London at 6 in the morning.
The advantage: costs are very low, which translates into cheap tickets. The disadvantage: zero margin for the unexpected. A 30-minute delay on the first flight of the day propagates to all subsequent flights. If the delay grows and the crew reaches their duty hour limit, the last flight of the day gets cancelled.
Full-service carriers have longer turnarounds (45-60 minutes for short-haul) and keep spare aircraft at main hubs. It costs more, but absorbs the unexpected better.
2. Secondary airport bases
Ryanair built its empire on secondary airports: Bergamo Orio al Serio, Rome Ciampino, London Stansted, Paris Beauvais, Brussels Charleroi. These airports have lower landing fees, but also:
- Less infrastructure for handling emergencies
- Fewer gates and runways — so less flexibility when problems arise
- Fewer alternative flights for rebooking passengers
- Less favourable geographic positions (Bergamo in the fog-prone Po Valley; Beauvais 80 km from Paris)
When something goes wrong at a secondary airport, options are more limited. At Fiumicino there are dozens of alternative flights per day; at Ciampino, far fewer.
3. Frequent strikes
Ryanair has a historically confrontational relationship with unions. The company’s employment model — based on contracts with temp agencies, mobile bases and conditions often contested by pilots and cabin crew — has generated recurring strikes across several European countries.
Ryanair staff strikes have been particularly frequent in:
- Italy (pilot and cabin crew strikes)
- Spain (cabin crew)
- Belgium and France
- Portugal
Important point: according to EU Court of Justice case law, airline staff strikes are not extraordinary circumstances. This means that if your Ryanair flight is cancelled due to a strike by Ryanair employees, you’re entitled to EU261 compensation.
4. “Strategic” cancellations
In 2017, Ryanair cancelled about 20,000 flights in a few months — officially due to “an error in pilot holiday planning”, actually due to a crew shortage linked to contract conversions. More generally, low-cost carriers occasionally cancel flights with low load factors and consolidate passengers. EU261 compensation is owed regardless.
5. Weather sensitivity
With tight turnarounds and no spare aircraft at smaller bases, Ryanair is particularly sensitive to weather-related disruption. An afternoon thunderstorm that delays flights by an hour at a Ryanair hub can generate cascading cancellations throughout the afternoon and evening.
What Ryanair does well
It would be unfair to paint only the negative side. Ryanair has democratised flying in Europe: millions of people travel thanks to fares of 20-30 euros, and the low-cost model has forced even full-service carriers to lower their prices.
Punctuality (78-82%) is in line with the industry — “premium” airlines like British Airways or Lufthansa have had worse periods. The homogeneous Boeing 737 fleet ensures efficient maintenance and fewer technical failures. And on many European routes, Ryanair offers more daily frequencies than any other carrier: if one flight is cancelled, there’s often another a few hours later.
How to compare Ryanair with other airlines
If you want a fair comparison, look at percentages, not absolute numbers:
| Indicator | Ryanair | Industry average |
|---|---|---|
| Cancellations | ~1-1.5% | ~1.5-2.5% |
| Punctuality (within 15 min) | ~78-82% | ~75-80% |
| Average delay (delayed flights) | ~25-35 min | ~30-40 min |
Data varies year to year and season to season, but the overall picture is clear: Ryanair isn’t significantly worse than average. It’s significantly bigger, so disruptions are more visible.
How to fly Ryanair while reducing risk
Some practical tips:
- Book morning flights: the first flight of the day almost always departs on time, because the aircraft is already at the airport from the night before
- Avoid the last evening flight: it’s the one most subject to cancellations from accumulated delays
- Don’t book connections on separate tickets: Ryanair doesn’t guarantee connections, and if you miss the second flight due to the first being delayed, you have no right to rebooking
- Check the risk before departure: weather, NOTAMs, ATC delays and route history give you an idea of what to expect
- Know your rights: if the flight is cancelled or arrives more than 3 hours late, you’re entitled to EU261 compensation
In conclusion
Ryanair doesn’t cancel “lots of flights” proportionally. It cancels many in absolute numbers because it’s huge. Its real vulnerabilities — tight turnarounds, secondary airports, tense union relations — are the flip side of a model that has made flying accessible to everyone. It’s not all negative and it’s not all positive: it’s a trade-off that each passenger weighs according to their priorities.
Sources
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