More than 85,000 air travellers faced delays of over three hours at Dutch airports this summer.
Across the country, 0.55% of all flights ran that far behind schedule over the season.
Budget carriers lead the list
Claims data show that budget airlines, among them Transavia, easyJet, Ryanair, TUI fly, Wizz Air and Corendon, together account for over a quarter of the delays of more than three hours.
Corendon had the highest rate, with 0.67% of its flights heavily delayed, followed by Transavia at 0.60% and then Ryanair and easyJet. KLM came out best on the Dutch market at 0.24%.
Technical problems were the most common cause, behind 13.4% of the long delays, with late incoming aircraft close behind at 12.9%.
Weather is blamed more than it happens
Airlines frequently point to bad weather when flights run late. The claims data tell a different story: weather was the cause in only 5.6% of cases.
The distinction matters for compensation.
Under EU rules a passenger whose flight arrives at least three hours late is entitled to money when the airline itself caused the delay: €250 for flights under 1,500 km, €400 for flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km and up to €600 for longer routes outside Europe.
Extraordinary circumstances such as severe weather release the airline from that obligation, which gives carriers a reason to reach for the weather as an explanation.
Claims agencies note that airlines often cite such circumstances when they did not actually apply, so a rejected claim can still be worth pursuing.
