Ryanair has said that next week’s French air traffic control (ATC) strikes could force the cancellation of as many as 600 flights a day, disrupting travel for up to 100,000 passengers.
The SNCTA, France’s largest air traffic controllers’ union, has announced strike action between 7 and 10 October, which will reduce capacity across western European airspace. Flights from the UK to France and popular holiday destinations such as Spain, Italy, and Greece are expected to be affected as many of these routes pass through French skies.
Ryanair’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, renewed his calls for the EU to protect overflights during strikes. “We cannot have a situation in the EU where we have a single market yet we close that market every time the French go on strike,” he said, arguing that cancellations should only apply to flights arriving in or departing from France. He also suggested that Eurocontrol could take over management of overflights in such situations.
The airline said it was forced to cancel about 30 flights on Thursday due to a strike by smaller French unions, while more than 190 services carrying 35,000 passengers were delayed for hours during a previous walkout on 18 September.
Other airlines, including easyJet and British Airways, have not yet confirmed the likely scale of disruption. Beyond industrial action, post-pandemic staff shortages and the closure of Russian and Ukrainian airspace have already put extra strain on Europe’s flight network.
