Ryanair has warned that up to 600 flights a day could be cancelled during a four-day strike by French air traffic controllers next week, potentially disrupting the travel of around 100,000 passengers.
The SNCTA, France’s largest air traffic control union, has announced walkouts from 7 to 10 October, cutting capacity across western European airspace. The action is expected to affect flights not only to and from France but also those overflying the country en route to Spain, Italy, Greece and beyond.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said airlines often receive confirmation of cancellations at the last minute and urged the EU to step in to protect overflights.
“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,” O’Leary said. “They have the right to strike, but if flights are to be cancelled, they should be flights arriving to and from France. They should not be overflights.”
O’Leary called on European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to act, suggesting Eurocontrol could manage overflights during strikes.
French industrial action has already caused widespread disruption this year. On Thursday, about 30 Ryanair flights were cancelled, while a strike on 18 September delayed more than 190 Ryanair flights carrying 35,000 passengers.
Other airlines, including EasyJet and British Airways, have yet to confirm the scale of their expected cancellations.
