TravelSpainMillions of Brits are planning to go to Spain this summer15:40, 25 Jun 2026As the summer peak draws near, Brits travelling to Spain are facing a frustrating double blow.‌Not only are there long border queues caused by the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES), but data has uncovered a huge a dramatic surge in flight delays. New research from AirAdvisor shows that Spanish routes are currently the worst affected for UK travellers, with two popular holiday destinations experiencing a sharp decline in reliability compared to last year. Overall delay rates have more than doubled at Palma in Mallorca, leaping from 3.66% to 7.60%.‌Meanwhile, at Alicante Elche airport, delays have nearly tripled, rocketing from 4.39% to 11.73%. This means approximately one in nine departures is running at least an hour late, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin.‌For passengers stuck in the Alicante backlog, the average wait for an already-delayed flight stands at a punishing 124 minutes. This frequently pushes arrival times beyond the crucial three-hour threshold, automatically entitling passengers to claim UK261 compensation.The travel disruption comes amid a sharp rise in short-haul cancellations across 18 European airports, predominantly affecting budget routes under pressure from climbing oil prices. However, airlines attempting to use market volatility as an excuse to avoid compensation payouts have just been firmly shut down.Article continues belowThe European Commission has made clear that fluctuations in fuel prices are a standard commercial risk, rather than an "extraordinary circumstance." Should an airline cancel or delay a flight purely because operating costs have become too high, they remain fully liable for passenger compensation.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌European UnionEuropean CommissionOil pricesSpain