Ryanair wants EU Commission to intervene in air traffic control strikes

Arline has claimed that since the strikes began at the end of January, more than a million of its passengers have seen their flights disrupted,

Ryanair chief executive Eddie Wilson called the level of disruption caused by the strikes "unacceptable". Photo credit: Damien Storan/PA Wire

Ryanair has called on EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to intervene and prevent further flight disruption across Europe as a result of the air traffic controller strike ongoing in France.

The airline has claimed that since the strikes began at the end of January, more than a million of its passengers have seen their flights disrupted, 80% of which were not flying to or from France.

The French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) has asked all airlines to reduce their flight schedules to and from Paris Orly airport and certain French airports from Monday to Thursday this week as a result of the strike action.

Ryanair has launched a petition seeking a million signatures calling on the EU Commission to address the issue of French air traffic controllers disrupting flights to and from other European Union countries.

Ryanair chief executive Eddie Wilson said the strikes are infringing on the right to the free movement of people within the EU and the EU Commission has “done nothing about this”.

"Free movement denied to almost a million EU citizens over the last eight weeks it's unacceptable.

'The Commission has done nothing so far about this level of disruption.” 

He said other countries such Spain, Italy and Greece already protect overflights during periods of industrial action by their air traffic controllers.

Mr Wilson said that these latest air traffic controller strikes in France are about the retirement age but that is not something people in other European countries can control and why should they be affected.

"If the French want to go on strike, fine, affect people flying to and from France but not people who can overfly that and other EU countries have done it.

He added that it is particularly unfair on international flights using French airspace because during the strikes French domestic flights are protected.

“It is absolutely outrageous what's going on and the European Union needs to do something about it,” he said.

Mr Wilson said that Eurocontrol - which coordinates aviation across the EU - should be allowed to manage flights over France during the strikes.

Since the beginning of the strikes, Ryanair has seen over 4,000 flights, which are not flying to or from France, disrupted which impacted over 800,000 passengers. The highest proportion of these, approximately 1,750, were to and from Spain with Ireland accounting for approximately 200.

Mr Wilson would not give a figure on the financial impact that this strike is having on the airline saying it is about the “sheer misery” the disruption is having on passengers.