Approximately 80,000 Ryanair passengers will have their travel plans ruined tomorrow as Air Traffic Control workers in France prepare to go on strike.
The airline has scrapped 420 flights tomorrow, September 16, due to the "all-out one-day strike" and is calling on the EU to intervene. The cancelled flights will mainly affect routes between Ireland, Spain, Italy and Germany, which require flying through French airspace.
Several flights from Dublin Airport have been cancelled tomorrow as a result of the disruption. Ryanair said in a statement: "Ryanair regrets that it is forced to cancel 420 flights (disrupting 80,000 passengers) mainly overflying France on Fri (16 Sept) as a result of this unjustified French ATC strike, which achieve nothing but disrupt thousands of European citizens/visitors’ weekend travel plans.
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"It is inexplicable that flights which overfly France are disrupted by French ATC strikes yet domestic French flights are protected by minimum service laws. The European Union must step in and protect overflights so that passengers who are travelling between Spain, Italy, Ireland, Germany, etc. are not disrupted just because they fly over France while French ATC unions strike."
The airline notified their 80,000 affected customers this morning about the disruption and said they "sincerely apologise" to customers.
Ryanair Ops Director Neale McMahon called the disruption "inexcusable and inexplicable". He said: "It is inexplicable that thousands of European citizens/visitors will have their travel plans unfairly disrupted tomorrow, (Fri 16 Sept) by yet another French ATC strike.
"Ryanair is once again calling for immediate EU action to prevent these ATC strikes disrupting the travel plans of thousands of European citizens/visitors. It is inexcusable that passengers who are not even flying to/from France are disrupted because they overfly French Airspace at a time when French laws protect French domestic flights.
"It is time that the EU step in and protect overflights so that European passengers are not repeatedly held to ransom by a tiny French ATC union."
The airline has proposed three ways for the EU to intervene, which include: Require French ATC unions to engage in binding arbitration instead of strikes, protect French overflights (under minimum services laws) and allow Europe’s other ATCs to manage overflights over France while French ATC unions strike.
Air France and EasyJet are among other airlines to announce cancellations for tomorrow.
The French Syndicat National des Contrôleurs du Trafic Aérien (SNCTA) union, the country’s biggest union for air traffic controllers, called the strike over pay and working conditions.
They said in a statement: "Between 2029 and 2035, one third of the (air traffic control) workforce is retiring. It is imperative that we anticipate and plan recruitment. If not, the consequences will be inevitable in terms of the public service, working conditions and flexibility."
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