As travel season reaches its peak levels, flight disruptions have become a recurring symptom of post-pandemic travel in the UK, with approximately 32% of all flights departing from UK airports being cancelled or delayed in the first five months of the year, according to data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Though not as significant as last summer’s disruption with more than 50% of cancellations or delays, it marks a serious crossroads on the road to recovery for the sector.
According to Jared Ailstock, aviation expert and Managing Partner of AIP Capital – an aviation asset management and investment firm – factors directly contributing to the disruptions include a fifth of European airspace being closed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, staff shortages in air traffic control agencies across Europe and repeated controller strikes.
However, Jared further highlights a series of contributing factors which have bottlenecked the resurgence of the global air travel industry – including a shortage of aircraft, engines and spare parts. This issue is particularly acute for the world’s most popular aircraft manufacturers, with the latest-generation engines requiring more frequent maintenance despite being up to 20% more fuel-efficient. The pipeline of engine repairs might extend into 2025, according to Paul Dolan, CEO of Aviation Technical Services, a large US maintenance provider. Concurrently, repair shops are overwhelmed due to shortages of spare engines, causing delays in maintenance and grounding of aircraft, contributing to an alarming capacity crunch at a time when airlines need to meet surging demands.
