When Strikes Ground Skies: Ryanair's Turbulent Week as 30,000 Passengers Face Flight Cancellations

A French air traffic control strike is causing chaos for Ryanair and over 30,000 passengers, as more than 170 flights have been cancelled during critical holiday days this Thursday and Friday. The strike, led by two unions advocating for better working conditions, has resulted in significant cancellations at major Paris airports—with a staggering 25% of flights cancelled at Charles de Gaulle and 50% at Nice. Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, criticized the strike as a ransoming of families planning holidays and called on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for urgent intervention to ensure minimum service levels during such actions.

The French Transport Minister, Philippe Tabarot, labeled the strike’s timing as unacceptable, particularly as it coincides with peak travel season. The strike’s impact extends beyond France, affecting flights across the UK, Ireland, Spain, and Greece, as overflights are also disrupted due to airspace restrictions.

Added to this situation, the DGAC (France’s civil aviation authority) has instructed airlines to reduce operations, expecting further disruptions with 40% fewer flights anticipated for Friday from Paris airports. The unions, especially UNSA-ICNA, have voiced concerns regarding staffing shortages, management issues, and contentious new employee management systems. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has compounded Ryanair’s troubles, with over 800 flights cancelled just last month. Despite this turmoil, Ryanair managed to operate over 109,000 flights in June, signaling that less than 1% of its operations were impacted by these significant disruptions.