Biggest Flight Disruptions of 2024

2024 was no smooth ride for air passengers. From labor strikes to weather chaos and system failures, traveler's across Europe and North America were hit by delays and cancellations on an unprecedented scale.

As we look back, here are five of the most disruptive events that caused travel headaches — and in many cases, opened the door for compensation claims under laws like EC 261.

The Biggest Flight Disruptions of 2024

5. Canada’s WestJet Mechanics Strike (June 28–30, 2024)

When more than 600 mechanics from WestJet went on strike over pay and working conditions, air travel across Canada hit a wall. Nearly half of all scheduled flights were grounded, with ripple effects across the U.S. and Europe. In total, over 1.3 million passengers were affected.

If you were flying WestJet in late June and your flight was canceled or delayed, you may be entitled to a refund or voucher — and possibly additional compensation depending on the route and notice given.

4. Hurricane Debby Disrupts the U.S. East Coast (August 3–5, 2024)

Tropical storms are always a wildcard for summer travel, but Hurricane Debby hit particularly hard. Over 6,000 flights were grounded in Florida alone, leaving more than 1.5 million travelers scrambling to rebook.

Major carriers responded by offering rebooking without extra fees, but refunds or compensation vary depending on whether the cancellation was avoidable.

3. Storm Systems Hammer Eastern Europe & Spain (July 1, 2024)

A wave of severe weather swept westward from Eastern Europe in early July, triggering widespread air traffic delays — even in Spain’s popular island destinations.

Flights across the Mediterranean and Balearic regions saw significant hold-ups, affecting roughly 1.6 million passengers. Many traveler's experienced missed connections or had to reschedule holiday plans.

2. Flooding & ATC Chaos in Switzerland & Norway (June 28, 2024)

Zurich and Geneva airports saw major technical failures as storms knocked out air traffic systems — including power supplies and data cooling infrastructure.

In parallel, flight disruptions hit Norway due to ongoing air traffic control issues. Collectively, these events disrupted service for an estimated 1.8 million passengers.

1. Global Grounding: The CrowdStrike Outage (July 19–22, 2024)

Perhaps the most stunning event of 2024, a software update from CrowdStrike crashed millions of systems globally — including mission-critical computers at airports and airline headquarters.

With more than 2.2 million travelers affected in North America alone, this event triggered the most extensive outage-related delays of the year. Some airports were even forced to write boarding passes by hand.

💡 What Can You Do After a Disruption?

Even when delays or cancellations are out of your hands, you still have rights. In the EU and UK, EC 261 laws cover certain delays and cancellations with compensation up to €600 per person.

Here’s what to remember:

• If you were informed last minute, or delayed over 3 hours, you may be eligible.

• Technical faults, strikes by airline staff, and other preventable issues often qualify.

• Weather-related delays usually do not qualify — but rescheduling help should be offered.

• Your Passenger Name Record (PNR) is key when filing claims.

ClaimBeacon helps passengers in the U.S., EU, UK and Canada claim what they’re owed — in under 2 minutes, with no legal jargon.

✈️ Think You’re Eligible for Compensation?

You may be able to claim up to €600 for disruptions going back 3 years.

Check your flight now — it’s free, and you only pay if we win.

The biggest flight disruptions of 2024.