EasyJet cancels 660 flights due to ATC strikes in France
Tens of thousands of passengers were disrupted when French ATC staff walked out on July 3 and 4 in a dispute over working conditions.
Flights to and from French airports, as well as those scheduled to fly over French airspace, were affected.
‼️ French Air Traffic Control strikes extended to 4 days (3-6 July) ‼️
❌ further EU-wide delays
❌ thousands more passengers impacted
Once again, we're calling on EU President @vonderleyen to urgently reform EU ATC services.
Demand action👇https://t.co/sCIewAfRe9 — Ryanair (@Ryanair) July 5, 2025
Fellow airline Ryanair has also hit out at the French strikes, as they claimed further strikes on Wednesday disrupted the travel plans of 30,000 passengers.
Mr Jarvis said: 'We are extremely unhappy with the strike action by the French ATC in early July, which as well as presenting unacceptable challenges for customers and crew also created unexpected and significant costs for all airlines.'
French ATC has been the leading cause of delays to easyJet flights since the start of the summer.
Mr Jarvis described the walkout in early July as 'very, very disruptive' as it forced it to cancel 660 flights and cost it £15 million.
Around 70% of easyJet's flights either fly to or from a French airport, or over the country's airspace.
Mr Jarvis said the airline has 'very strong measures in place to protect our operations', and has improved its punctuality record, but 'no measures will cope when French airspace effectively closes'.
He added: 'What we have to do is demand that the French government steps in and really works with their ANSP (air navigation service provider) because it has been the worst performing air traffic control area in Europe, and they get ahead of it and do some long-term measures.
'More recruitment into the tower for controllers, protecting over-flying, using AI and data that's available nowadays to improve the life of the controller.
'We're asking for improved actions, but at easyJet we've made a lot of investment into our resilience.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
28 minutes ago
- Reuters
Corning staves off antitrust fine as EU regulators accept concessions to mobile phone makers
BRUSSELS, July 18 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators on Friday accepted glass maker Corning's (GLW.N), opens new tab offer to waive exclusive deals with mobile phone makers and glass processing companies and scrap purchasing clauses to end an eight-month long investigation and stave off a possible fine. The U.S. company, which sells a break resistant glass used as a cover for mobile phones, tablets and smart watches under the Gorilla Glass brand, counts Samsung ( opens new tab, Sony (6758.T), opens new tab, Google (GOOGL.O), opens new tab, HP (HPE.N), opens new tab, Dell (DELL.N), opens new tab and Nokia ( opens new tab as its customers. Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab is reportedly a customer too. Corning submitted concessions to the European Commission in November last year. Corning has now agreed "to waive all exclusive dealing clauses in all its current agreements with OEMs (original equipement makers) and finishers", the EU antitrust enforcer said in a statement. It will also not require OEMs to purchase, or cause their supply chain to purchase, more than 50% of their demand from the company. The offer is valid for 9 years. EU antitrust violations can cause companies as much as 10% of their turnover.
Reuters
30 minutes ago
- Reuters
Prosus offers to slash Delivery Hero stake to address EU concerns about Just Eat deal
BRUSSELS, July 18 (Reuters) - Prosus has offered to slash its Delivery Hero ( opens new tab stake to below 10% and give up its board seat to address EU concerns over its 4.1 billion euro ($4.78 billion) Just Eat Takeaway ( opens new tab deal, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said on Friday. Prosus, which is majority owned by South Africa's Naspers (NPNJn.J), opens new tab, earlier said it had offered remedies to the European Commission but did not provide details. The company's assurances to the Commission that it does not control nor influence the German meal delivery company Delivery Hero despite its 27.4% stake failed to convince the EU competition enforcer, people with direct knowledge of the matter said. Delivery Hero and Just Eat Takeaway compete with each other in Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, Poland and Spain. Delivery Hero and its Spanish unit Glovo were fined 329 million euros by the EU antitrust watchdog last month for taking part in a cartel which included an agreement not to poach each other's employees. "We have submitted remedies that directly and comprehensively address the concerns expressed in their preliminary assessment, with a view to obtaining a Phase 1 approval," Prosus said in a statement ($1 = 0.8585 euros)
South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Ryanair asks passengers to act as flights cancelled in UK
The budget airline is calling on NATS CEO, Martin Rolfe to step down after staff shortages delayed 38 flights by up to an hour this week. Those delays impacted the travel of more than 7,000 UK passengers, Ryanair said. In a message to its passengers, the airline said: 'Ryanair has long campaigned for ATC reform to ensure that ATCs are fully staffed, but UK ATC delays are getting worse due to repeated NATS mismanagement and staff shortages. 'Ryanair calls on all passengers to visit the 'Air Traffic Control Ruined Your Flight' webpage and demand that Transport Minister, Heidi Alexander, sack Martin Rolfe and reform NATS's hopeless ATC service, so that airlines and passengers do not suffer further avoidable ATC delays at the hands of NATS's continued mismanagement and staff shortages.' NATS is the UK's leading provider of air traffic control services, providing assistance for both civilian and military aircraft in UK airspace and at several UK airports. ‼️ French Air Traffic Control strikes extended to 4 days (3-6 July) ‼️ ❌ further EU-wide delays ❌ thousands more passengers impacted Once again, we're calling on EU President @vonderleyen to urgently reform EU ATC services. Demand action👇 Ryanair's message comes days after fellow airline easyJet expressed their 'extreme unhappiness' with strikes by French air traffic control (ATC) workers. Tens of thousands of passengers were disrupted when French ATC staff walked out on July 3 and 4 in a dispute over working conditions. Flights to and from French airports, as well as those scheduled to fly over French airspace, were affected. Kenton Jarvis, chief executive of the Luton-based carrier, warned that the industrial action is presenting 'unacceptable challenges'. Mr Jarvis said: 'We are extremely unhappy with the strike action by the French ATC in early July, which as well as presenting unacceptable challenges for customers and crew also created unexpected and significant costs for all airlines.' He described the walkout in early July as 'very, very disruptive' as it forced it to cancel 660 flights and cost it £15 million. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) states that airlines must provide you with care and assistance if your flight is cancelled under UK law. This means they need to provide people with accommodation if they are re-routed to the next day, transport to and from the accommodation, a reasonable amount of food and drink (usually as vouchers) and a means for you to communicate (often by refunding the cost of your calls). The authority adds: "The airline must provide you with these items until it is able to fly you to your destination, no matter how long the delay lasts or what has caused it." If there is major disruption airlines are not always able to arrange care and assistance for all passengers. In those situations, the CAA recommends organising your own accommodation and transport and claiming the cost back later. They add: "If you end up paying for things yourself, keep every receipt and do not spend more than is reasonable. "Airlines are unlikely to refund you for things like luxury hotels or alcohol. Some will provide guidance on reasonable costs." Additionally, your airline must offer you the option to receive a refund for all parts of your ticket that you have not used or choose an alternative flight for.
