Ryanair Cancels Over 170 Flights Amid French Air Traffic Control Strike

A significant strike by French air traffic controllers has forced Ryanair to cancel more than 170 flights, impacting tens of thousands of holiday travelers across Europe.

In a dramatic move, Ryanair has cancelled over 170 flights due to a two-day strike by French air traffic controllers, affecting more than 30,000 passengers. The disruption, occurring on Thursday and Friday, is linked to labor disputes led by two French unions, which are protesting against working conditions. The strike has resulted in a quarter of flights being scrapped at key Paris airports and half at Nice airport, with the ramifications spreading across Europe.

French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot expressed his condemnation of the strike, labeling it "unacceptable," particularly given its timing during the holiday season. Ryanair highlighted that the strikes not only halted flights to and from France but also disrupted flights navigating through French airspace towards destinations such as the UK, Ireland, Spain, and Greece. The airline's CEO, Michael O'Leary, criticized air traffic controllers for forcing European families to cancel their holiday plans, calling for immediate interventions by European authorities to impose minimum service levels during strikes.

France's civil aviation authority (DGAC) has urged airlines to minimize their flight schedules due to the expected disruption, predicting a further 40% reduction of flights from key Paris airports on Friday. The UNSA-ICNA union, which is behind the strike, cited grievances including staffing shortages, management issues, and contentious clock-in system proposals for air traffic controllers. The failure of negotiations between the union and DGAC earlier this week has exacerbated tensions.

The aviation sector is bracing for significant ripple effects as Airlines for Europe (A4E) condemned the strike as "intolerable," warning it could wreak havoc on travel during peak holiday times. Another budget airline, EasyJet, also voiced disappointment, urging a swift resolution to the issue. Despite the cancellations, Ryanair reported that it managed to operate over 109,000 flights in June, indicating that less than 1% of its services were disrupted by this recent labor conflict, which was further complicated by ongoing disruptions stemming from the recent Middle East conflict that resulted in the cancellation of over 800 flights last month.