The strike called by France’s UNSA-ICNA union, has caused significant disruption across French airspace
Seeking better wages and less stressful working conditions, French Air Traffic Controllers have launched a two-day strike on Thursday, leading to severe disruption in flights all over France and its ripple effects spreading across Europe.
Amongst the worst affected airports were Bastia in Corsica and Nice in southern France which both saw over 50 pc flights cancelled. The Parisian airports, Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Beauvais, all experienced at least 25 pc flight cancellations.
The strike called by France’s UNSA-ICNA union, has caused significant disruption across French airspace, with impacts extending beyond national borders. The industrial action affected routes within France and across countries such as the UK, Ireland, Spain, and Greece.
The report adds that France’s civil aviation authority (DGAC) requested airlines to reduce flight schedules, including operations at Paris Charles de Gaulle, one of Europe’s busiest airports. The authority asked carriers to cancel 25 pc of flights in and out of Paris airports and nearly 50 pc of departures from the capital on Friday. In the south of France, reductions reached up to 50 pc.
One of the worst affected by the cancellations is Ireland-based low-cost carrier Ryanair, which is also the largest airline in Europe. Ryanair accounted for 170 of the total 950 flights cancelled on Thursday.
This disruption has coincided with the start of the European summer holiday period, traditionally one of the busiest travel windows.
Reacting to the strike, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary criticised the action, stating that “European families are held to ransom” during such events. As a result, the airline has called on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to initiate reforms in air traffic control across the EU. Ryanair is also demanding overflight protections during national strikes and guaranteed staffing during peak hours.
The airline highlighted the impact on overflights services that pass through but do not land in France, raising concerns about protection for non-domestic traffic.
According to the report, the strike was triggered by issues such as staff shortages, ageing infrastructure, and the introduction of a new clock-in system for controllers. Another union, USAC-CGT, also voiced dissatisfaction with DGAC’s management practices. Meanwhile, France’s Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot described the unions’ demands as unacceptable.
Other airlines were also affected. EasyJet cancelled 274 flights across the two days and expressed disappointment over the disruption. Air France adjusted its schedule but maintained full long-haul operations. British Airways deployed larger aircraft to reduce the impact. Reacting to the situation, Airlines for Europe (A4E), a leading aviation industry body, described the strike as intolerable and warned of continued disruption if the dispute is not resolved.
Luxair also issued a passenger advisory, warning of possible delays and schedule changes across its network due to air traffic rerouting and reduced capacity.
Earlier, Ryanair had noted that it cancelled more than 800 flights in June due to instability in the Middle East but still operated over 109,000 flights that month, indicating fewer than 1 pc of its services were affected. Currently, passengers are being advised to follow updates and rebook travel where possible.
"
