The ongoing strike by two French unions over working conditions has led to widespread cancellations in France on Thursday and Friday. Ryanair announced that it has cancelled more than 170 flights, directly impacting the holidays of over 30,000 passengers. The situation worsened by the fact that many flights flying over French airspace, including those headed to the UK, Ireland, Spain, and Greece, have also been affected.
French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot criticized the unions’ decision to strike during peak travel time, deeming their demands as "unacceptable." The strike has already caused a quarter of the flights to be cancelled at major airports in Paris and half at Nice airport. As a consequence, France's civil aviation authority (DGAC) instructed airlines to slash their flight schedules.
Ryanair's CEO, Michael O'Leary, expressed frustration at the actions of air traffic controllers, stating they have “held European families to ransom,” and has called for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to take swift action to ensure minimum service levels during strikes. Disruptions are anticipated to escalate, with French airports in Paris expecting a reduction of 40% in flights on Friday.
The strike was initiated by the UNSA-ICNA union, citing issues such as staffing shortages and the introduction of a contentious clock-in system. Attempts to reach a resolution earlier this week between the unions and the DGAC ended unsuccessfully.
In light of this strike, Airlines for Europe (A4E) criticized the situation as "intolerable," highlighting the severe disruptions occurring during the busy holiday season. EasyJet, another airline caught in the chaos, expressed its disappointment and called for a resolution. Ryanair also noted that it had previously been impacted by conflicts in the Middle East, having cancelled more than 800 flights last month, but managed to operate over 109,000 flights in June, indicating that less than 1% were affected.
French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot criticized the unions’ decision to strike during peak travel time, deeming their demands as "unacceptable." The strike has already caused a quarter of the flights to be cancelled at major airports in Paris and half at Nice airport. As a consequence, France's civil aviation authority (DGAC) instructed airlines to slash their flight schedules.
Ryanair's CEO, Michael O'Leary, expressed frustration at the actions of air traffic controllers, stating they have “held European families to ransom,” and has called for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to take swift action to ensure minimum service levels during strikes. Disruptions are anticipated to escalate, with French airports in Paris expecting a reduction of 40% in flights on Friday.
The strike was initiated by the UNSA-ICNA union, citing issues such as staffing shortages and the introduction of a contentious clock-in system. Attempts to reach a resolution earlier this week between the unions and the DGAC ended unsuccessfully.
In light of this strike, Airlines for Europe (A4E) criticized the situation as "intolerable," highlighting the severe disruptions occurring during the busy holiday season. EasyJet, another airline caught in the chaos, expressed its disappointment and called for a resolution. Ryanair also noted that it had previously been impacted by conflicts in the Middle East, having cancelled more than 800 flights last month, but managed to operate over 109,000 flights in June, indicating that less than 1% were affected.
