Ryanair has said it could be forced to cancel up to 600 flights a day next week as French air traffic controllers prepare to strike, potentially disrupting travel for as many as 100,000 passengers daily.
The walkout, called by the SNCTA union, is scheduled for 7–10 October and will reduce capacity across western Europe. Flights from the UK to France, Spain, Italy and Greece are among those likely to be hit, as many of these routes cross French airspace.
Airlines will only learn the scale of disruption once the action begins, but Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said he expected sweeping cancellations. He renewed calls for the EU to protect overflights, arguing that if French controllers strike, only flights to and from France should be cancelled.
“We cannot have a situation where the single market closes every time the French go on strike,” O’Leary said, urging European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to act. He also suggested Eurocontrol could step in to manage overflights during stoppages.
The strike comes amid broader strains on European air traffic management, with Covid-era staffing shortages, technical failures and restricted airspace due to the war in Ukraine all adding to delays.
EasyJet and British Airways have yet to confirm how their schedules will be affected. Ryanair said that in a previous French strike on 18 September, more than 190 of its flights carrying 35,000 passengers suffered long delays.
