TAP Is Europe's Most Delayed Major Airline — And What That Means for Portuguese Passengers

Portuguese passengers flying TAP Air Portugal face a stark statistical reality: according to official EUROCONTROL data, TAP had the lowest on-time arrival performance among all 20 of Europe's busiest airlines in 2024, posting just 64% punctuality — meaning more than one in three TAP flights arrived late.

That isn't a bad month. That's the full-year average.

The implications go beyond frustration. Under EU Regulation EC 261/2004, a significant proportion of those delayed passengers are legally entitled to between €250 and €600 in cash compensation — money that most of them never claim.

The Data: Europe's Best and Worst Airlines for Punctuality

The most authoritative source on European airline performance is EUROCONTROL, the intergovernmental organisation that coordinates air traffic management across 41 European states. Their annual European Aviation Overview covers over 10 million flights and is the standard reference for regulators, airports, and airlines.

Here's how the 20 busiest European airline groups ranked by arrival punctuality in 2024:

Rank	Airline Group	Arrival OTP (2024)
1	Iberia Regional	86%
2	Widerøe	85%
3	Vueling	83%
4	SAS Group	81%
5	Iberia Group	81%
...	(mid-table)	70–79%
16	Ryanair Group	69%
17	easyJet Group	69%
18	TUI Group	67%
19	Sun Express	67%
20	TAP Air Portugal	64%

Source: EUROCONTROL European Aviation Overview 2024 (January 2025 edition)

The Europe-wide average for departure punctuality in 2024 was 66.2%, itself significantly below pre-pandemic levels (72.7% in 2019), according to the same EUROCONTROL report.

Iberia Express, TAP's closest geographic competitor, topped the independent Cirium On-Time Performance rankings for Europe in 2024 with 84.69% OTP — a gap of more than 20 percentage points versus TAP on the same continent, same regulatory framework.

2025 Is No Better

The trend continued into early 2025. Data published by aviation analytics sources tracking the first five months of the year show that 37.1% of TAP flights were delayed by 15 minutes or more — the highest delay rate among the 20 busiest European carriers. TAP's counterpart Air France posted 22% delays during the same period; even Ryanair and easyJet, carriers with reputations for operational disruption, performed comparatively better.

The one metric where TAP scores well: cancellation rates. TAP has one of the lowest outright cancellation rates in Europe, at approximately 0.05%. The airline rarely cancels — it just consistently runs late.

For passengers, this is cold comfort. A flight arriving 3+ hours late triggers the same EC 261/2004 compensation rights as a cancellation.

What About Wizz Air and Ryanair?

They don't escape scrutiny either. UK Civil Aviation Authority data shows that 32% of Wizz Air flights arrive more than 15 minutes late at their destination — one of the worst records among European low-cost carriers. Ryanair self-reports OTP figures of 84–92% depending on the month (using their internal 15-minute threshold), but EUROCONTROL's independent methodology places the Ryanair Group at 69%.

This discrepancy matters. Airlines use different measurement windows, different flight selections, and — critically — they measure their own data. Independent third-party sources like EUROCONTROL, Cirium, and national aviation authorities consistently show worse figures than airline self-reports.

Lisbon Airport: The Good News

There is one genuinely positive data point for Portuguese passengers: Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) has dramatically improved since mid-2024.

NAV Portugal, the country's air traffic management authority, introduced a new Point Merge System (PMS) in July 2024 — a new approach sequencing model that replaced traditional holding patterns with more efficient continuous-descent trajectories. The results:

• July 2024: Total delays dropped 25% versus July 2023 (the first full month of PMS operation)
• April 2025: Total delay reduction reached 38%
• For delays specifically attributable to air traffic control, monthly reductions ranged from 40.5% to 91.6%

This is meaningful context: it means that many delays at Lisbon from July 2024 onwards are less likely to be ATC-attributable, and more likely to be airline-attributable — precisely the category that triggers EC 261/2004 compensation entitlement.

How Many Passengers Are Owed Compensation?

Let's put these numbers in human terms.

TAP operated approximately 4.8 million seats from Portuguese airports in 2024 (Lisbon, Porto, Faro combined). If 36% of flights were late, and even conservatively assuming half of those delays were 3+ hours (the EC 261 threshold), and accounting for average load factors:

• ~850,000 affected seats on qualifying delayed TAP flights from Portugal in 2024 alone
• At an average compensation of €300 per passenger: roughly €255 million in potential claims
• Industry research consistently suggests fewer than 15% of eligible passengers actually claim

The unclaimed figure just from TAP, just from Portugal, in a single year: approximately €215 million. Our EU flight compensation statistics piece puts the Europe-wide unclaimed total at an estimated €5.9 billion annually.

That's one airline, one country, one year.

What Counts as Compensation-Eligible?

Not every delay qualifies. Under EC 261/2004, you can claim if:

1. Your flight departed from any EU airport, or arrived at an EU airport on an EU-based carrier
2. The delay was 3 hours or more at arrival (not departure)
3. The cause was within the airline's control — meaning not genuine "extraordinary circumstances" like severe weather or political unrest

The key clause is that last one. Airlines routinely cite "extraordinary circumstances" to avoid paying. But staff shortages, aircraft technical faults, and scheduling issues — the real causes behind most TAP and Ryanair delays — are explicitly not extraordinary circumstances under EU law and multiple CJEU judgments.

Compensation amounts are fixed by distance:

Flight distance	Compensation per passenger
Under 1,500 km	€250
1,500–3,500 km	€400
Over 3,500 km	€600

A family of four on a Lisbon–London flight (1,747 km, so €400 per person) that arrived 4 hours late: €1,600 total compensation.

How to Check If You're Owed

If you've flown TAP, Ryanair, Wizz Air, or any other EU carrier in the last three years and experienced significant delays, you may have an unclaimed compensation claim sitting dormant.

Check your flight here → — it takes 30 seconds and is completely free to find out if you qualify.

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Methodology

Flight punctuality data in this article is sourced from:

• EUROCONTROL European Aviation Overview 2024 (January 2025 edition) — official intergovernmental data covering all 41 EUROCONTROL member states. Punctuality defined as arrival within 15 minutes of scheduled gate time.
• Cirium 2024 On-Time Performance Annual Review — commercial aviation analytics, 600+ data feeds, 25 million daily updates. European winner: Iberia Express at 84.69%.
• ACI Europe Airport Performance Network (APN) Annual Report 2024 — data from 30+ European airports.
• NAV Portugal (May 2025) — official data on Lisbon delay reductions following Point Merge System implementation.
• UK Civil Aviation Authority — Wizz Air punctuality data.

All compensation estimates use conservative assumptions: 50% of reported 36% delays qualifying as 3+ hour arrivals, 75% load factor, €300 average compensation.

→ Part of the Airline Compensation Guides — see all related guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which airlines had the worst delay records in Europe in 2024?

Based on OAG, Cirium, and EUROCONTROL data for 2024, TAP Air Portugal, Wizz Air, and several Eastern European carriers consistently ranked at the bottom for punctuality. Flybe's absence improved UK statistics, while LOT Polish Airlines struggled with delays throughout 2024. Ryanair performed better than its reputation suggests on short-haul OTP metrics.

Does an airline's poor delay record help my EC261 claim?

It provides useful context but doesn't directly prove your specific claim. An airline's documented pattern of poor performance can help challenge extraordinary circumstances defences (since chronic delays indicate systemic operational failures, not extraordinary events). However, each EC261 claim must be proven on its own specific facts.

Are the airlines with the worst records also the worst at paying EC261 claims?

Not always — delay rate and claims payment behaviour are different metrics. Some airlines with decent OTP have poor claims payment records, and vice versa. Consistently poor delayers tend to process more claims, which can create backlogs. The key variable is how vigorously the airline fights valid claims.

How do EU enforcement bodies deal with chronically poor airlines?

National enforcement bodies (CAA in UK, ANAC in Portugal, etc.) have powers to investigate, fine, and issue compliance notices. However, enforcement has historically been inconsistent and underpowered relative to the scale of non-compliance. The EU Commission has noted enforcement gaps and has pushed for stronger implementation. Going through courts or professional claims services often produces better individual results than waiting for regulatory enforcement.

Can I see historical delay data for my specific flight?

Yes — Flightradar24, FlightAware, and OAG provide historical delay data by flight number and date. This data is the core evidence in any EC261 claim. FlightOwed automatically retrieves this data when you submit your claim here.

What can I do before I fly to protect myself against an airline with a bad delay record?

Book first-of-the-day flights where possible. Book connections with generous layover times. Buy travel insurance covering delays (this supplements, not replaces, EC261 rights). Know your EC261 rights before you fly. Keep your booking confirmation and boarding pass. And if things go wrong, file your claim promptly.

Has 2025 improved on 2024 delay statistics for Europe?

Full 2025 data is still being compiled, but early indicators suggest continued high disruption in southern Europe (Portugal, Greece, Italy) and some improvement in northern European airspace. Summer 2025 was again severely disrupted. FlightOwed tracks disruption data — check your 2025 flight eligibility here.