EUROCONTROL MUAC reports record summer traffic in 2025

The EUROCONTROL Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC) has reported its busiest summer since the pandemic, safely managing 677,010 flights between June and September 2025.

The surge peaked on 4 July, when MUAC set a new daily traffic record with 5,831 flights — a 3% increase on the previous high set in 2018. July was the busiest month overall, with nearly 174,000 flights and more than 5,600 movements a day on average. August saw the strongest year-on-year growth, up 3% compared with 2024.

Despite these volumes, MUAC kept delays well below EU targets, thanks to robust staffing and proactive air traffic management. The centre expects to finish the year under the 0.31-minute average delay per flight benchmark. Safety performance remained strong, with no serious incidents recorded.

MUAC also played a key role in supporting military operations, including close coordination during the NATO Summit in June. In parallel, the centre advanced its climate initiatives, instructing 7,200 flights to reduce speed for Extended Arrival Management (XMAN) into major hubs including Heathrow, Gatwick, Amsterdam and Paris. This measure helps cut time spent in fuel-intensive holding patterns, lowering emissions.

“The summer is always a challenging season, particularly with sustained high levels of traffic in complex airspace. I’m very pleased with our performance this year, which reflects the dedication of our highly skilled team and our close cooperation with partners,” said Peggy Devestel, Director of MUAC. “Looking ahead, increasing traffic will pose capacity challenges, but our planning efforts are focused on meeting the needs of all our airspace users.”

To meet future demand, MUAC is recruiting more than 100 new air traffic controllers. Training is underway for multiple student groups: some have begun on-the-job training at Maastricht after completing studies at France’s ENAC, while others have started initial training at MUAC’s new partner, GATE Aviation Training in Copenhagen.