Air traffic controllers strike: Ryanair calls to protect overflights over France

Ryanair call her European Commission “ to take urgent measures to protect overflights » of France during the French air traffic controllers strike this Monday, November 20, 2023.

At the call of three minority unions, air traffic controllers are striking today to protest against the recent adoption by Parliament of a bill aimed at forcing them to declare themselves individually on strike or not 48 hours in advance. As a result, approximately 25% of flights departing from Toulouse-Blagnac and Paris-Orly are not insured today, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC).

“ISo far in 2023, there have been 65 days of air traffic controller strikes (more than 13 times more than in 2022), forcing airlines to cancel thousands of EU flights from Germany, l Spain, Italy, Ireland and the United Kingdom, while France in particular uses minimum service laws to protect French flights. It is unfair! France (and all other EU states) should protect overflights during air traffic controller strikes as is the case in Spain, Italy and Greece, and cancel flights to/from the affected state », We can read in the Ryanair press release which had already launched a similar appeal to the European Commission at the start of the year.

“ Despite repeated calls for Ursula von der Leyen to protect passengers and overflights during these strikes, she has still taken no action to do so », Points out a spokesperson for the Irish low cost airline, the leading European airline in terms of number of passengers. And to emphasize: “ We have no problem with the right of French air traffic controller unions to strike, but the European Commission should insist that cancellations due to French air traffic controller strikes be allocated to French flights, not those flying over France en route to another unrelated EU destination “.

Ryanair is calling on passengers to join its appeal to the EU Commission by signing its Protect Passengers: Keep EU Skies Open petition, already signed by more than 2 million people.