Ryanair has said it may be forced to cancel up to 600 flights a day during French air traffic control (ATC) strikes planned for next week, potentially affecting as many as 100,000 passengers daily.
The strike, called by France’s largest ATC union, SNCTA, will run from 7 to 10 October and is expected to cut capacity across western European airspace. Flights between the UK, France and popular destinations such as Spain, Italy and Greece are likely to be hit, as many of those routes pass over France.
Chief executive Michael O’Leary renewed calls for the EU to protect overflights during strikes, saying cancellations should apply only to flights arriving in or departing from France. “We cannot have a situation where the single market is closed every time the French go on strike,” he said, urging European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to intervene.
Ryanair has already faced repeated disruption this year. On Thursday, about 30 of its flights were cancelled due to a smaller union strike, and a walkout on 18 September caused delays for 35,000 passengers.
The airline has suggested Eurocontrol, which coordinates Europe’s independent ATC services, could handle overflights during national strikes. Other carriers including easyJet and British Airways have yet to confirm the scale of expected disruption.
Alongside industrial action, European air travel has faced added strain from staff shortages at control centres and the ongoing closure of Russian and Ukrainian airspace, which has squeezed available routes and increased delays.
