Thousands of Ryanair passengers will have their travel plans ruined today (Friday) as Air Traffic Control workers walk out in a row over pay and working conditions.
The budget airline has cancelled more than 400 flights today, 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.
In a statement, Ryanair said: "Ryanair regrets that it is forced to cancel 420 flights (disrupting 80,000 passengers) mainly overflying France on Friday 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 on Thursday about the disruption and said they "sincerely apologised", according to Dublin Live.
Ryanair Ops Director Neale McMahon called the disruption "inexcusable and inexplicable". He said: "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.
The French Syndicat National des Controleurs du Trafic Aerien (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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