Low-cost airline Ryanair has issued an angry response, denouncing Europe’s Air Traffic Control system (ATC) as “chaotic” after delays hit 12 of its flights at Athens airport today, affecting more than 2,000 passengers.

According to the airline, the delays were caused by equipment failure at the Athens ATC Center. In a statement, Ryanair noted:
“Between January 1 and August 20, 2025, more than 5,000 Ryanair flights and over 900,000 of our passengers have suffered unjust delays due to mismanagement and staff shortages in Greek ATC, placing Greece in the fifth-worst position for air traffic control services in Europe.”

The carrier, Europe’s largest low-cost airline, sharply criticized the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen—mockingly dubbing her ‘Ursula von Derlayed-Again’ to underscore repeated flight delays.
“The Commission has pledged competitiveness and efficiency in Europe, yet it continues to allow recurring ATC mismanagement, disrupting flights and inconveniencing passengers. Ryanair has long campaigned for ATC reform across the EU and urges passengers themselves to take initiative by writing letters demanding system reform.”

In an official statement, a Ryanair spokesperson said:
“It is unacceptable that passengers continue to suffer from ATC disruptions caused by repeated staff shortages across Europe. Now, another equipment failure today, August 20—this time in Athens—has delayed 12 Ryanair flights and affected over 2,000 passengers. When will Ursula von ‘Derlayed-Again’ and the European Commission take action to reform EU air traffic control and protect passengers from these recurring ATC failures?”

According to EUROCONTROL, the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation, Greece ranks second in Europe for flight delays this August, with France in first place and Spain in third.