The strikes by French air traffic controllers start later today (Thursday) and are expected to affect all flights using French airspace today and tomorrow, leading to wider cancellations and delays.
Ryanair said its cancellations, covering both days, would hit services to and from France, and also flights over the country to destinations such as the UK, Greece, Spain and Ireland.
The airline has called on EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen to take urgent action to reform EU air traffic control services, with the current strike coinciding with the start of the European summer holidays, one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
Ryanair said that in addition to flights to and from France being cancelled, the strike will also affect all French overflights, due to “France’s continued failure to protect overflights during national ATC strikes”.
The airline noted that even though it is French air traffic controllers that are striking, most disrupted passengers are not even flying to or from France but just flying through French airspace en route to their destination.
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Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, said: “Once again, European families are held to ransom by French air traffic controllers going on strike. It is not acceptable that overflights over French airspace en route to their destination are being cancelled/delayed as a result of yet another French ATC strike. It makes no sense and is abundantly unfair on EU passengers and families going on holidays.
“Ryanair calls on Ursula von der Leyen to take urgent action to reform EU ATC services by 1.) ensuring that ATC services are fully staffed for the first wave of daily departures, and 2.) protecting overflights during national ATC strikes. These two splendid reforms would eliminate 90% of all ATC delays and cancellations, and protect EU passengers from these repeated and avoidable ATC disruptions due to yet another French ATC strike.”
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