1,779 flights disrupted across Zurich, Copenhagen, Warsaw, and Porto on 23 June

Disruption overview

Europe’s aviation network had another difficult day on 23 June 2026, with 1,779 disrupted flights recorded across the region, including long delays and cancellations affecting Zurich Airport, Copenhagen Airport, Warsaw Chopin Airport, and Porto Airport. Passengers faced long queues, gate holds, missed connections, and extra travel costs as delays spread from morning departures into the afternoon peak. Weather appears to have been the main trigger, alongside airport capacity limits and air traffic control congestion, so compensation under EC 261 is unlikely in most cases. Even so, airlines should still provide care and assistance, and you can use AirHelp’s free flight checker to understand what support may apply to your flight.

Disruption details

Passengers traveling through Zurich Airport, Copenhagen Airport, Warsaw Chopin Airport, and Porto Airport on 23 June 2026 faced a difficult day after 1,779 flights across Europe were disrupted. The problems started in the morning and built through the afternoon, leaving many people dealing with long lines, crowded gate areas, missed connections, and extra same-day hotel costs.

The scale of the disruption was significant:

• 1,714 flights were delayed and 65 were canceled.

• Some of the longest queues and gate holds were reported at Zurich, Copenhagen, Warsaw, and Porto.

• Delay boards included LOT Polish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Air Baltic, Swiss, Lufthansa, British Airways, SAS, and TAP Air Portugal.

At Zurich Airport, early delays on feeder flights spilled into long-haul departures later in the day, affecting Swiss and partner airlines. Once aircraft and crews start arriving late into a busy hub, the rest of the schedule can unravel quickly, and that’s what many passengers saw as the day went on.

Copenhagen Airport also logged high delay times, only weeks after earlier weather-related capacity restrictions. That disrupted Nordic regional services and flights further into Europe. In Warsaw Chopin Airport, LOT Polish Airlines had to juggle late inbound aircraft and crews nearing their maximum working hours, which led to a small number of cancellations as the airline tried to protect later departures.

At Porto Airport, flights bunched into the same busy periods and added pressure in the terminal and on the ramp. Across the wider network, even fairly short delays in one city kept showing up again at the next stop, turning a local problem into a longer chain of knock-on disruption.

The disruption wasn’t limited to one airline or one type of operation. Flag carriers, leisure airlines, and low-cost operators all appeared on delay boards, showing how tightly linked Europe’s schedules have become. A late departure in one airport often becomes a late arrival in another, and then keeps rolling through the rest of the day.

There wasn’t one single cause behind the problems. Weather appears to have been the main trigger, but the day was also shaped by airport capacity constraints, air traffic control congestion, and the usual knock-on effect of late-running aircraft. When visibility dropped or winds briefly limited runway use at some hubs, queues formed quickly and some airlines canceled flights to stop later rotations from slipping even further.

That matters because Europe’s summer schedule is now running with very little spare room. When traffic is this dense, even modest disruption can spread fast across multiple countries. On 23 June, the effects were felt in Portugal, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Poland, Sweden, and Finland, as well as at major hubs including Zurich, Copenhagen, Warsaw, and Porto.

By the evening of 23 June, most flights were operating again, although many were still behind schedule and the disruption was expected to clear overnight. For passengers, that was some relief, but it didn’t undo a day of waiting, rebooking, and uncertain connections.

If you were affected, your airline should still help you get moving again. If your flight was canceled, you should be offered rerouting or a refund. During long delays, airlines should also provide care and assistance such as food, refreshments, and, if you’re stranded overnight, accommodation and transport to it. Under EC 261, you’re also entitled to 2 phone calls or emails if your journey is delayed over 1 hour.

Because the main drivers here were weather and air traffic restrictions outside the airline’s control, compensation under EC 261 is unlikely in most cases on EU routes. Still, that doesn’t mean you’re without support. Your airline should provide care and assistance, and if you want to understand what applies to your specific flight, you can use AirHelp’s free flight checker to see whether compensation or other support could still be available.

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