Dublin, Ireland: Ryanair on, Thurs (Sept 15) called on the EU to take immediate action to protect overflights over French airspace today (Sept 16), while French Air Traffic Control (ATC) go on an all-out one-day strike.
Ryanair Airlines in a press release issued on Thursday (Sep 15) said, “Ryanair regrets that it is forced to cancel 420 flights (disrupting 80,000 passengers) mainly overflying France on Fri (16th Sept) as a result of this unjustified French ATC strike, which achieves nothing but disrupts thousands of European citizens/visitors’ weekend travel plans. 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.”
Ryanair Ops Director, Neal McMahon:
“It is inexplicable that thousands of European citizens/visitors will have their travel plans unfairly disrupted on Fri (16th Sept) by yet another French ATC strike. Ryanair is once again calling for immediate EU action to prevent these ATC strikes from 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.”
