A two-day strike by French air traffic controllers is taking a toll on travelers, as Ryanair announces the cancellation of over 170 flights, affecting around 30,000 passengers. The strike, initiated by two French unions over working conditions, has caused major disruption not just to flights in France, but also to those flying over French airspace, including routes to and from the UK and Spain.
Ryanair's boss, Michael O'Leary, criticized the strike, calling it unfair to holidaymakers. Meanwhile, French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot expressed strong disapproval of the unions' actions during peak holiday travel. The DGAC, France’s civil aviation authority, has requested airlines to cut schedules, predicting increased cancellations, particularly at major airports like Charles de Gaulle in Paris.
Union leaders cited issues like staffing shortages and a controversial new clock-in system as reasons for the strike, which has seen no resolution thus far. Other airlines, such as EasyJet, have also voiced their frustration over the timing of the labor action. Ryanair recently faced challenges from the Middle Eastern conflict as well, resulting in over 800 cancellations the previous month. Despite these setbacks, the airline managed to operate more than 109,000 flights in June, indicating that less than 1% of their flights were affected.
