Travel chaos for thousands as French strike forces Ryanair to cancel 170 flights
has cancelled 170 flights, disrupting travel for more than 30,000 passengers due to a nationwide strike by French air traffic controllers.
The action, which begins on Thursday and is expected to continue on Friday, comes at the beginning of the European summer holidays, one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
The French civil aviation agency DGAC on Wednesday asked multiple carriers to reduce flights at Paris airports by 40 per cent on July 4th due to the planned strike.
It will not only affect flights bound for destinations in France, but also those passing through French airspace, such as routes from the UK to Greece, and Spain to Ireland.
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'This is due to France's continued failure to protect overflights during national ATC (air traffic controllers) strikes,' Ryanair said in a statement.
'European Union skies cannot be repeatedly closed just because French air traffic controllers are going on recreational strikes.'
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The airline has called on European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to reform European Union (EU) air traffic control services
'Once again European families are held to ransom by French air traffic controllers going on strike,' Ryanair Holdings chief executive Michael O'Leary said.
'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.'
The airline has called on Ms von der Leyen to ensure that ATC services are fully staffed for the first wave of daily departures, and protect overflights during national ATC strikes, saying this would eliminate 90 per cent of all ATC delays and cancellations. – Additional reporting: Reuters
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