Low cost airline Ryanair has cancelled more than 170 flights because of French air traffic control strikes, affecting more than 30,000 passengers. The Irish carrier said the cancellations on Thursday and Friday will affect flights to and from France, and also flights over the country to destinations such as the UK, Greece, Spain and Ireland.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary renewed calls on EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, to take “urgent action” to reform European Union air traffic control (ATC) services in light of the disruption, which comes at the start of the European summer holidays.
Mr O’Leary said: “Once again, European families are held to ransom by French air traffic controllers going on strike.
“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.”
Ryanair has long-campaigned for an overhaul of ATC services across Europe.
It wants the EU to ensure ATC services are fully staffed for the first wave of daily departures, as well as to protect overflights during national ATC strikes.
“These two splendid reforms would eliminate 90% of all ATC delays and cancellations, and protect EU passengers from these repeated and avoidable ATC disruptions due to yet another French ATC strike,” Mr O’Leary added.
Ryanair also said on Wednesday it had been hit by the recent conflict in the Middle East, and it cancelled more than 800 flights last month.
It is among those to have cancelled and rerouted flights amid the conflict between Israel and Iran, as well as continued attacks in Gaza.
Last week, flights were halted at Dubai airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as passengers were told to expect further delays and cancellations.
Ryanair said it still operated more than 109,000 flights in June, indicating that fewer than 1% of flights were affected.
The Ireland-based business carried 19.9 million passengers in June, representing a 3% increase on the same month last year.
It comes after Ryanair, Europe’s biggest low-cost airline, announced it will increase its free cabin baggage allowance.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
