The purpose of the present paper approaches the modelling of progressive damage and failure in composite laminates which is designed by interlaminar delamination in the aeronautical structures. The analytical model is based on a fracture mechanics approach; it's used to estimate the total mixed mode energy release rate for composite laminates. A finite element simulation has been achieved in combination with the virtual crack closure technique (VCCT) to analyse the effect of temperature on the mixed-mode interlaminar fracture toughness and fatigue delamination growth rate of a carbon/epoxy material, namely IM7/8552 subjected to mechanical loading at variable temperatures. The developed model may serve as the basis for treating different types of thermal and mechanical loading, different stacking sequences and thickness of lamina in order to build safe working conditions for composite laminates.