Ryanair has reiterated its call on EU Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen to protect EU overflights in light of another strike by French Air Traffic Control (ATC) professionals being called for tomorrow (Friday October 13).
Ryanair said: “So far in 2023, there have been 64 days of ATC strikes – over 12 times more than in 2022 – forcing airlines to cancel thousands of EU overflights from Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland, and the UK; while France uses Minimum Service Laws to protect French flights. This is unfair. France (and all other EU states) should protect overflights during ATC strikes as they do in Spain, Italy and Greece, and cancel flights to/from the affected State.”
A Ryanair spokesperson said: “It is disgraceful to think that French ATC are striking again this Friday, 13th October – the 64th day of ATC strikes in 2023 alone – and despite Ryanair’s repeated calls on Ursula von der Leyen and her College of Commissioners, they still have not taken any action to protect EU passengers from suffering needless disruptions during these ATC strikes. As a result, even more passengers will have their flights cancelled at short notice due to the French ATC strike on Friday, 13th October, despite not even flying to/from France. This is because France unfairly uses Minimum Service Laws to protect French flights while forcing cancellations on overflights from Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland, and the UK.
“We have no problem with French ATC unions exercising their right to strike, but the EU Commission should insist that cancellations due to national French strikes are allocated to French flights, not those overflying France en route to another unrelated EU destination.”
Since delivering its Protect Overflights: Keep EU Skies Open petition to the EU, last month, it now has more than 1.8 million signatures from “fed-up passengers”, according to Ryanair.
Ryanair said: “We delivered these signatures to the EU Commission last month, yet here we are a month later and still no action has been taken. It is utterly unacceptable that Ursula von der Leyen is ignoring these EU passengers, who are sick and tired of having their overflights cancelled at short notice due to repeated ATC strikes. If the EU Commission President is not willing to do her job, then she should resign and hand it over to a competent person who will.
“Ursula von der Leyen must now take urgent action to protect overflights during the French ATC strike taking place tomorrow, Friday 13th Oct, or answer to the 1.8m passengers who she has failed to protect by offering her resignation.”
Ryanair calls on Ursula von der Leyen to act on the petition of over 1.8m EU passengers and:
· Respect the strike rights of ATC unions
· Protect 100% of flights overflying strike affected countries
· Require 21-day advance notice of ATC strikes
· Require 72-hour advance notice of participation in ATC strikes
