Airline ImPax Report

Global Disruptions Overview

This month's report analyses the disruption data of 276 airlines totalling 581,491 disrupted flights, across 2,699,544 planned flights, globally.

Global airline disruption was driven by several high-impact events, including the worldwide grounding of Airbus A320 aircraft, which forced thousands of cancellations, and widespread operational issues across major European carriers. India experienced severe turbulence as IndiGo cancelled more than 1,200 flights, while volcanic-ash restrictions added further strain. In the United States, the federal government shutdown triggered FAA-mandated 10% flight cuts, contributing to more than 9,500 cancellations and extensive delays. Although global flight volumes fell by around 10% and disrupted flights declined nearly as much, disrupted passenger numbers increased slightly, showing that large airlines bore responsibility for disproportionately high-impact disruptions across fewer but fuller flights.

Asia Pacific

In November 2025, APAC air travel was hit hard: the urgent global recall of Airbus A320 jets triggered widespread cancellations — from ~90 flights at Jetstar to mass delays at major carriers — while airlines scrambled to implement safety updates. In India, IndiGo's heavy dependence on A320s made it especially vulnerable, resulting in airports packed with delayed or cancelled domestic flights. Even though overall passenger volumes in the region dropped by about 6%, almost every delay and cancellation metric rose, disrupting an estimated 1.2 million more passengers than in October. The disruptions disproportionally affected high-capacity carriers reliant on affected fleets.

Europe

In November 2025, Europe's aviation sector was jolted by a sweeping recall of A320-family jets, forcing major airlines to scramble for software updates and triggering widespread delays and cancellations. Carriers including Air France, Lufthansa, KLM, Swiss and others reported dozens of disrupted flights across key hubs — from London and Amsterdam to Paris, Frankfurt and Rome. Although European flight trends usually see a downturn in November, this month's turmoil still created significant disruption. As a result, the number of disrupted passengers dropped by roughly 2.5 million compared to October 2025, underscoring a contraction in traffic even as operational volatility remained high.

North America

In November 2025, North American air travel faced a wave of disruption. The federal government shutdown forced the FAA to impose up to a 10% cut in flights at major U.S. airports, triggering nationwide cancellations and delays. Thousands of flights were cancelled and delayed, with major carriers forced to reschedule or cancel services. On top of that, a winter snowstorm over the busy holiday-weekend added fresh disruption at hubs like Chicago. Although overall flight volumes dropped by more than 10%, every delay and cancellation metric rose, ultimately affecting approximately 1.2 million more passengers than in October — underscoring how fewer flights did not translate to fewer disrupted travellers.

Middle East and Africa

In November 2025, ME&A air travel faced rising turbulence. The global A320 software recall forced carriers to ground aircraft temporarily, disrupting flights across the Middle East and Africa. Airlines such as Flydubai, Air Arabia and Royal Jordanian cancelled or delayed dozens of flights — at major hubs including Dubai, Amman, Istanbul and Cairo — while key African gateways from Johannesburg to Dar es Salaam reported hundreds of delays. Although overall flight volumes dipped only slightly from October, every disruption metric rose by roughly 10%, reflecting both increased cancellations and delays. The regional network's fragility under fleet-wide technical pressure became starkly visible.

Latin America

In November 2025, Latin America's air travel sector experienced sharp turbulence. A pilots' strike at LATAM Airlines cancelled over 245 flights, while the global recall of Airbus A320 jets forced carriers like Avianca to ground aircraft — triggering widespread delays and cancellations across multiple countries. Medium and major disruptions surged, even though overall flight volumes remained steady month-on-month. As a result, cancellations alone spiked by around 20%, amplifying travel chaos for thousands of passengers. The ripple effects hit regional hubs from Chile to Central America, highlighting vulnerabilities in fleet-dependence and labour stability across LATAM's aviation landscape.