EU air connectivity stagnates in 2025 as regulators, high costs and Middle East risk squeeze capacity; BA cuts summer 2026 frequ
European air connectivity “essentially flatlined” in 2025, with IATA citing just 1% net growth in routes linking Europe internally and to global markets amid high costs and onerous regulation. In parallel, Europe’s safety regulator is grounding its own airlines, while British Airways is cutting capacity to seven Middle East destinations for summer 2026.