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Were you stuck at the airport for hours in May with no explanation?
Unfortunately, many passengers were. Last month revealed a worrying trend: fewer disrupted flights compared to April, but far more severe delays.
The worst case? Over 16 hours of waiting with Wizz Air.
Here’s what happened, what your rights are, and how you can claim up to €600 in compensation.
In May 2025, six flights were reported with delays exceeding six hours, with an average wait time of approximately10 hours and 22 minutes.. These disruptions mainly affected European routes operated by Ryanair and Wizz Air Malta, leading to missed connections, lost business appointments, and overnight stays at airports without proper assistance.
Monthly Overview
- Number of Reports: 6 flights delayed ≥ 6 hours
- Average delay: 10h 22min (+13% compared to April)
- Total number of disruptions: 8 cases (-14% serious flights vs April)
Most affected routes:
- BGY → BEG (Wizz Air Malta)
- BGY → OTP (Wizz Air Malta)
- GOA → SUF (Ryanair)
- BVS → TSF (Ryanair)
- WAW → MXP (Wizz Air Malta)
- BCN → MXP (Wizz Air Malta)
Compared to April 2025, when there were 7 flights with delays of more than 6 hours, May saw a 14% decrease in the number of serious cases. However, the average duration of delays increased by 13%, from 9h 10min to 10h 22min.
The 2 Companies Protagonists of the May 2025 Disruptions.
Wizz Air Malta
Volo W46316 (09/05/2025)
- Delay: 6 hours 25 minutes
- Tratta: Barcellona (BCN) – Milano Malpensa (MXP)
- Details: The 12:55 flight left at 6:50 p.m., with notice of the delay not arriving until 2 p.m. the same day, leaving passengers unannounced for more than an hour.
Flight W43132 (15/05/2025)
- Delay: 11 hours and 40 minutes
- Route: Bergamo (BGY) – Bucharest (OTP)
- Details: Passengers remained at the airport for more than 12 hours without receiving timely information from the company, with communications arriving only after a 10-hour wait. The situation for families with children was particularly critical.
Flight W64124 (17/05/2025)
- Delay: 16 hours and 26 minutes
- Route: Bergamo (BGY) – Belgrade (BEG)
- Details: The flight was scheduled to leave on Saturday, May 17, at 11:50 p.m. but was continuously delayed until 3:15 p.m. on May 18. Communication was disastrous and assistance virtually nonexistent, leaving passengers without clear information for over 16 hours.
Flight W46388 (25/05/2025)
- Delay: 8 hours and 13 minutes
- Route: Warsaw (WAW) – Milan Malpensa (MXP)
- Details: Double postponement with communications at 3:14 and 6:37. Passengers were forced to seek alternatives, with some having to purchase replacement flights for €126 due to urgent commitments.
Ryanair
Flight FR1540 (03/05/2025)
- Delay: 8 hours and 27 minutes
- Route: Brindisi (BVS) – Treviso (TSF)
- Details: Passengers were taken off the plane and forced to wait for new communications at the airport from 12:55 p.m. to 6:50 p.m., without adequate assistance during the long hours of waiting.
Flight FR4574 (04/05/2025)
- Delay: 5 hours 43 minutes
- Route: Lourdes (LDE) – Rome Ciampino (CIA)
- Details: Passengers were kept from 2 to 8:30 p.m. in a room without clear information. Especially critical was the handling for people with disabilities and those who had urgent connections, with some forced to incur alternative transportation costs of up to €800.
Flight FR8320 (04/05/2025)
- Delay: 12 hours 55 minutes
- Route: Tirana (TIA) – Rome Ciampino (CIA)
- Details: Delay caused by failure of aircraft external light system, inability to replace part, disembarking after long wait on board and re-routing to next day’s flight with overnight accommodations provided by airline.
Flight FR9312 (22/05/2025)
- Delay: 11 hours
- Route: Genoa (GOA) – Lamezia Terme (SUF)
- Details: The plane was diverted to Milan Malpensa and the flight canceled at 2:00 a.m., forcing passengers to cancel important appointments and commitments the next day.
Leading Causes of Air Disruptions in Italy – May 2025
May 2025 proved to be a particularly complex month for Italian air transport, characterized by exceptional delays affecting thousands of passengers. The causes are multiple and often interconnected, with a recurring pattern that highlights structural fragilities in the system.
Strikes and Labor Mobilizations
May was marked by numerous strikes involving both airport and airline personnel:
- May 9 national strike: Impacts on departures and arrivals at several Italian airports, despite some partial cancellations
- Local and industry strikes: such as the one on May 30 that affected SEA Aeroporti drivers at Milan Linate and Malpensa airports, causing disruption for the entire day
- Rationale: Expired contracts, working conditions, and demands for wage improvements
Recurring Technical and Operational Issues
Four operational factors characterized the month’s major disruptions:
- Technical and Maintenance Failures: Problems with exterior light system and need for unavailable replacement parts, following the pattern already seen in April with similar incidents.
- Crew Management and Hours Exceedances: Exceeding maximum crew duty hours, resulting in the need for backup crew and last-minute rescheduling.
- Inadequate Communications: Late notifications to passengers and contradictory information about new departure times, as demonstrated by Wizz Air cases with communications arriving after a 10-hour wait.
- Detour and Rescheduling: Sudden diversions that cause ripple effects on subsequent flights, evident in the case of the Ryanair GOA-SUF flight diverted to Malpensa.
Airport Congestion and Infrastructure
Increased air traffic ahead of the summer has put pressure on airport infrastructure that is often already at capacity limits. Critical issues have been exacerbated by the lack of infrastructure upgrades, with particular impact on:
- Northern Italian airports (Bergamo, Malpensa) for low-cost flights.
- Major hubs such as Milan Malpensa, Rome Fiumicino
- Airports in the South and Islands
According to statistics for the first quarter of 2025, 40 percent of delays are caused by staff strikes, 30 percent by airport congestion, and 25 percent by adverse weather conditions, with the remaining 5 percent attributable to aircraft technical problems.
Passenger Rights according to EU Regulation 261/2004
When your flight experiences long delays or cancellations, European regulations protect you with specific rights. Don’t panic: we explain how to make the most of them.
Ticket Refund or Flight Replacement
If your flight is canceled or delayed more than 5 hours and you decide not to travel anymore, the company must offer you:
- Full refund of the ticket price for the route not taken
- Alternative flight to final destination as soon as possible
Practical Tip: Always keep e-ticket and boarding pass as proof of the price paid.
Forfeit Compensation (250€ – 600€)
If the arrival delay is 3 hours or more and not caused by exceptional circumstances, you are entitled to compensation based on distance:
- 250€ for routes up to 1,500 km
- 400€ For intra-EU routes over 1,500 km and other routes from 1,500 km to 3,500 km
- 600€ for routes over 3,500 km
Concrete example: 16h 26min delay of BGY-BEG flight entitles to 400€ compensation per passenger.
Airport Assistance
While waiting, the company must guarantee you:
- Meals and drinks proportional to waiting time
- Two free communications (calls or emails)
- Hotel accommodation + transfers if necessary overnight stay
- Assistance for special needs (children’s meals, reduced mobility)
Important Tip: Photograph vouchers and keep receipts of extra expenses to claim reimbursement.
Check whether you are entitled to compensation
Did you experience a disruption in May 2025? Enter your flight information-it will take less than 2 minutes. Our team takes care of everything from paperwork to negotiation with the company.
No down payment, pay only in case of success.
FAQ
Can I claim compensation for the 16h 26min delay of flight W64124?
Yes. Each passenger on the BGY-BEG flight is entitled to €400 compensation for the European leg over 1,500 km, plus reimbursement of expenses incurred for overnight stay.
What to do if they let me off the plane like on flight FR1540?
Keep the boarding pass and any communication received. Trip interruption with subsequent re-embarkation entitles you to both compensation for delay and reimbursement of documented extra expenses.
I had to buy another flight as on W46388: can I recover the money?
Yes. If you are forced to purchase an alternative flight due to urgent commitments, you can request reimbursement for these additional expenses in addition to the standard compensation.
What happens if I travel with children as on flight W43132?
Every passenger is entitled to his or her own compensation, including minors. The company must also provide priority assistance for families with children while waiting.
By when do I have to file the May 2025 inconvenience claim?
The legal deadline is 2 years from the date of the flight, but we recommend that you submit the file within 3-6 months to facilitate response time and evidence collection.
