Budget airline Ryanair says it has been forced to cancel at least 170 flights as a nationwide air traffic controller strike starts.
The strike is set to start today until Friday, with France’s civil aviation agency DGAC warning airlines to revise flight schedules, especially at Paris airports.
Air France has amended its schedule and Ryanair says more than 30,000 passengers will likely be disrupted today and Friday.
The budget airline has once again called on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to take swift, meaningful action.
“Once again European families are being held to ransom by French Air Traffic Controllers. It makes no sense and is abundantly unfair on EU passengers and families going on holidays,” said Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary. ”
Easyjet says it is cancelling 274 flights on Thursday and Friday.
French air traffic controller union UNSA-ICNA said: “The DGAC is failing to modernise the tools that are essential to air traffic controllers, even though it continues to promise that all necessary resources are being made available.”
The DGAC asked airlines to cut about one quarter of flights to and from Paris airports today and nearly half of flights on Friday.
Airports in the south of France are also expected to be hard hit too.
