Ryanair cancels 170 flights over French air traffic control strike

Airline said more than 30,000 passengers will be impacted by the strikes 

In addition to flights to and from France being cancelled, this strike will also affect all French overflights. Photo credit: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Ryanair has called on EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to take urgent action to reform air traffic control (ATC), with another strike by French workers set to impact all overflights through the country.

The airline said it was forced to cancel some 170 flights, disrupting more than 30,000 passengers due to the French ATC flight, which is taking place from July 3 to July 4. 

Ryanair said the strike action was occurring at the start of the European summer holidays, which are one of the busiest travel periods of the year. 

In addition to flights to and from France being cancelled, this strike will also affect all French overflights.

Even though it is French ATC that are striking, Ryanair says that most of the disrupted passengers are not those flying to or from France but those overflying French airspace en route to their destination, such as the UK to Greece or Spain to Ireland.

The French civil aviation agency DGAC asked multiple carriers this week to reduce flights at Paris airports by 40% on July 4 due to the planned strike.

“Once again, European families are held to ransom by French Air Traffic Controllers going on strike," said Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary. 

"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 to EU passengers and families going on holidays.

Ryanair is calling on President von der Leyen to take urgent action to reform EU ATC services. The airline is urging the commission to ensure all ATC services are fully staffed for the first wave of daily departures and to protect 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.”