A strike by French air traffic controllers (ATC) entered its second day on Friday with flight delays and cancellations continuing for thousands of passengers.
Airlines have slammed the industrial action, which comes during one of the busiest months of the year for air travel.
Budget airline Ryanair has called on EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to take urgent action.
Tens of thousands of passengers affected by French airport strikes
In response to the walkout, the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) has asked for a reduction in airport capacity across the country.
Airlines for Europe (A4E) said on Thursday that a total of 1500 flights have been cancelled on 3 and 4 July, affecting over 300,000 passengers.
Late on Thursday, Ryanair said it has been forced to cancel 400 flights on Thursday and Friday due to the strike, including some flights over France to the UK, Spain, Greece and Ireland. It could disrupt travel for more than 70,000 passengers.
Easyjet has also said it has had to cancel 274 flights during the walkout.
Ryanair says European families are ‘held to ransom’ by strikes
The industrial action comes on the eve of the school summer holidays in France, when air traffic peaks. These dates are some of the busiest of the year, according to DGAC, as many head off on their summer break.
Ryanair has lambasted the move. “Once again, European families are held to ransom by French air traffic controllers going on strike,” CEO Michael O’Leary said in a statement.
He highlighted that the strike is also affecting all flights passing over French airspace, meaning passengers who are not landing or leaving from France are also experiencing disruption.
“It is not acceptable that overflights over French airspace en route to their destination are being cancelled/delayed as a result of yet another French ATC strike,” O’Leary said. “It makes no sense and is abundantly unfair on EU passengers and families going on holidays.”
The airline has called on Ursula von der Leyen to take urgent action to reform the EU’s ATC services by ensuring that they are fully staffed for the first wave of daily departures and protecting overflights during national ATC strikes.
“These two splendid reforms would eliminate 90 per cent of all ATC delays and cancellations, and protect EU passengers from these repeated and avoidable disruptions due to yet another French ATC strike.”
Airline association calls strikes ‘intolerable’
Airlines for Europe (A4E) has also hit back over the disruption caused by the French ATC strike.
“Tens of thousands of travellers in France and across Europe have seen their summer getaway grounded as French air traffic controllers walk out,” the group said in a statement.
“Already in 2025, French ATC has proven to be one of the weakest links in Europe’s ATC system, posting some of Europe’s worst delay records.”
ATC capacity-related delays in June 2025 reportedly jumped 115 per cent compared to June 2024.
“European Transport Commissioner Tzitzikostas has repeatedly pressed member states to fix poor-performing ATC and it is high time they stopped the excuses and took action,” the A4E statement continues.
The group is calling for various measures to prevent future disruption to passengers in France and across Europe:
- Mandatory arbitration before ATC unions can threaten strike action
- A 21-day advance notification of strike action.
- Provision of a 72-hour advance individual notification of participation in industrial action
- Protection of overflights, while ensuring this is not at the expense of departures and arrivals in the country where the strike originates
- A right of redress with Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) for the impact of disruption
“This strike is intolerable. French ATC already delivers some of Europe’s worst delay figures and now the actions of a minority of French ATC workers will needlessly disrupt the holiday plans of thousands of people in France and across Europe,” said Ourania Georgoutsakou, Managing Director of A4E.
“There is intense discussion about passenger rights in the EU right now, yet policymakers have done little to fix ATC to help them attain the most basic right: reaching your destination on time.”
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