You’ve heard the horror stories, and probably even seen video footage to support them: Flying in Europe is a total nightmare this summer, with a record-high number of flight delays and cancellations, understaffed airports with hours-long security waits, and literal mountains of lost luggage. The chaos has gotten so intense at London Heathrow, that the airport has taken the drastic move of limiting airline ticket sales until it can get its act together.
But it doesn’t all have to be bad news.
According to newly released data from Hopper Inc, the Goldman-backed online travel agency whose roots are in aviation and big data, some airports are preserving the Dolce Vita fantasy of summer travel in Europe—including Bergamo, in Italy, where only three percent of flights have been delayed so far this month and one percent have been cancelled. Compare that to Brussels, the European airport with the worst on-time performance so far this month; there, 72% of flights have been delayed and 2.5% have been cancelled.
The data seem to suggest that regional airports are better equipped to absorb the shocks of this summer’s disruptions, thanks to both their lower passenger and flight volumes. Among the better performers are small hubs like Gran Canaria Airport in Spain and Fontanarossa Airport in Catania, Italy. The latter, in Sicily, only sees around 300 flights on any given day; Heathrow, by comparison, sees 1,300.
Hopper’s data is collected via Official Aviation Guide, a leading provider of digital flight information and analytics for airports, airlines, and travel tech companies, for the purpose of keeping customers informed about disruptions on their booked routes. The figures, which reflect a three-day lag, are more current than any public data source.
Here are the 10 airports that currently rank best for delays according to their most recent findings—if your travel plans are flexible, it might be worth rerouting your travels to these destinations for a smoother all-around ride.
Read more: The 10 Worst Airports in Europe for Delays Right Now
Best 10 Airports in Europe for On-Time Departures (July 2022)
Bergamo/Orio al Serio Airport (BGY) Bergamo, Italy3% delayed, 1.0% canceled
Gran Canaria Airport (LPA) Gran Canaria, Spain8% delayed, 0.3% canceled
Otopeni International Airport (OTP) Bucharest, Romania10% delayed, 1.7% canceled
Dublin International Airport (DUB) Dublin, Ireland15% delayed, 1.6% canceled
Fontanarossa Airport (CTA)Catania, Italy16% delayed, 1.1% canceled
Adolfo Suarez-Barajas Airport (MAD) Madrid, Spain19% delayed, 0.4% canceled
Alicante Airport (ALC)Province of Alicante, Spain20% delayed, 3.4% canceled
Marseille Airport (MRS)Marseille, France20% delayed, 2.0% canceled
Orly Field (ORY)Paris, France21% delayed, 1.2% canceled
Malaga Airport (AGP)Malaga, Spain24% delayed, 3.3% canceled
