Ryanair starts petition to save flights from French air traffic control strikes

Ryanair is urging passengers to sign a petition calling on Brussels to intervene to enable flights to be maintained during French air traffic control strikes.

Europe’s largest low fares carrier wants rules changed to allow controllers from other countries to take over to enable flights in French airspace to continue when industrial action is taking place.

The ‘Keep EU Skies Open’ petition will be delivered to the European Commission when it reaches one million signatures to demand that action is taken to protect European passengers during French ATC strikes.

The airline has warned of further cancellations this week due to the latest national strike in France in protest against pension reforms being imposed by the government in Paris.

Ryanair chief executive Eddie Wilson said: “While we respect the right to strike, it is completely unacceptable that Europe’s passenger flights that overfly France are repeatedly delayed or cancelled by French ATC strikes. 

“So far in 2023, more than 1,000,000 EU passengers have faced unnecessary delays/cancellations as a result of 14 separate French ATC strikes, with zero action taken by [president] Ursula von der Leyen’s Commission to protect them. 

“Despite multiple unanswered calls on the EU Commission to protect passenger flights by keeping the EU skies open during French ATC strikes, Ryanair has launched an EU-wide petition, where passengers are asked to support our call on the Commission to take action to protect Europeans and their families and their travel plans during French ATC strikes, which have become an almost weekly occurrence.

“After all, if the EU won’t listen to its airlines, perhaps they’ll listen to millions of Europe’s passengers instead.”