Ryanair says it may have to cancel up to 600 flights a day next week as French air traffic controllers prepare for a four-day strike, potentially affecting up to 100,000 passengers.
The country’s largest ATC union, SNCTA, has called industrial action from 7 to 10 October, which will restrict capacity across western European airspace. The disruption will hit flights not only to and from France but also those overflying the country en route to Spain, Italy and Greece.
Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s chief executive, renewed demands for the EU to protect overflights, arguing that flights simply passing through France should not be grounded. “We cannot have a situation where we close the single market every time the French go on strike,” he said.
Airlines will not know the full extent of cancellations until the strike begins, but Ryanair expects the impact to be severe. About 30 of its flights were cancelled on Thursday due to action by smaller unions, while a strike last month delayed more than 190 of its services.
O’Leary urged the European Commission to act and suggested Eurocontrol could step in to manage overflights during strikes. Other carriers, including EasyJet and British Airways, are also monitoring the situation but have not yet given estimates of likely cancellations.
The strikes come at a time when European skies are already under pressure from post-pandemic staffing shortages, technical issues, and the ongoing closure of Ukrainian and Russian airspace, all of which have reduced available flight paths and increased delays.