Europe travel chaos as airline axes 1,400 flights

has sparked chaos by axing hundreds of this summer. Swiss International Air Lines (also known as SWISS) suddenly cancelled 1,400 journeys, blaming the decision on a pilot and fleet shortage. Disruption is expected to last until October.

Experts at AirAdvisor say the move could have a "ripple effect" across Europe and beyond and potentially affect . This is because SWISS currently operates direct flights to four major UK airports: London Heathrow, City, Manchester and Edinburgh. It is predicted that around 10-15 UK flights are operated by SWISS per day, with the majority leaving from , and represent 10-12% of the mass cancellations.

While this directly impacts travellers flying to Zurich, the airline's hub, it may also disrupt passengers flying indirectly to long-haul destinations.

Aviation expert and founder of, Anton Radchenk, argues the cancellations are just the "tip of the iceberg" and reflect wider issues in the European aviation industry.

"2025 has already been notorious for flight cancellations, especially due to persistent industrial action and ATC issues, be it in Germany, Italy, Greece, France or Finland," he said.

He added: "With this latest wave of SWISS cancellations, summer just got more complicated for UK travellers. We're not seeing a demand problem but a staffing and scheduling bottleneck. Flights are getting axed not because people aren't lying, but because airlines don't have enough fully trained pilots to operate them."

If you're impacted by the axing, you will be entitled to a full refund and free re-routing under the EU261 regulation. If your flight's departure is less than 14 days from the time of the SWISS cancellation announcement, you'll get between £220 and £520, depending on the distance of the flight and length of delay.

"With these proactive adjustments to our flight schedule, our aim is to maintain the highest possible level of stability and reliability for our passengers," SWISS said in a statement sent to the Mirror.

"On long-haul routes, this affects flights to Shanghai until the end of June, and to Chicago until the end of June, as well as during September and October.

"On short- and medium-haul routes, this affects flights from Geneva Airport to various destinations between early May and the end of October. From Zurich Airport, we will have to cancel individual flights to various European destinations in August and September.

"We regret that we are unable to offer the affected connections as originally planned. In such cases, we inform the affected customers as early as possible.

"Schedule adjustments are made as far in advance as possible to minimise inconvenience and to find the best possible alternative travel solutions for our passengers."

The huge blow to Brits is another reminder to always book your travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday. This can help protect you from losing money after paying for hotels and excursions, which you may not be able to attend due to flights being cancelled.