Today, Thursday, 3rd July, Ryanair called on EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, to take urgent action to reform EU ATC services after the airline was forced to cancel 170 flights, disrupting over 30,000 passengers due to another French ATC strike scheduled for Thursday and Friday (3 & 4 July). These enforced cancellations by French ATC coincide once more with the start of the European summer holidays – one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
Flights to/from France & all French Overflights Impacted
In addition to flights to/from France being cancelled, this strike will also affect all French overflights. This is due to France’s continued failure to protect overflights during national ATC strikes. Even though it’s French ATC that are striking, most disrupted passengers are not even flying to/from France but just overflying French airspace en route to their destination (e.g., UK – Greece, Spain – Ireland, etc.). EU skies cannot be repeatedly closed just because French Air Traffic Controllers are going on recreational strikes.
Ryanair states that the company has long campaigned for effective EU ATC reform and calls on all passengers to visit the ‘Air Traffic Control Ruined Your Flight’ webpage and demand that the EU Commission and governments take urgent action to reform EU ATC services and avoid any further avoidable ATC disruptions this summer.
Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:
Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary 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 2 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.”
ATC Delays
Air Travel Controllers (ATCs) manage traffic in the sky, including take-offs and landings at airports. According to Ryanair, France, Spain, Germany, Greece, and the UK, are responsible for over 90% of Europe’s ATC delays. The airline states that “the underperformance of these mismanaged ATCs is highlighted by the exemplary performance of other central ATC services in Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovakia, who have, during 2024, provided on-time ATC services to thousands of flights”.
