Ryanair boss warns 100,000 passengers could have flights cancelled next week – UK Times

Ryanair’s CEO has warned that 100,000 passengers could face flight cancellations during an air traffic control strike in France next week.

Members of the French air traffic control union SNCTA plan to strike from 7 to 10 October.

Budget airline boss Michael O’Leary told the Sky Money blog that Ryanair expect to cancel 600 flights across the first two days of the strike.

He said: “That’s about 100,000 passengers who will have their flights cancelled needlessly next Wednesday and Thursday.”

Mr O’Leary added that the upcoming industrial action would cost Ryanair around £20m.

SNCTA, the largest controllers’ union, has a long list of grievances. It says: “For several years, the governance of air traffic control has been characterised by mistrust, punitive practices, and brutal managerial methods.”

The union also wants restoration of pay that it says has been eroded by inflation.

According to the Ryanair CEO, UK airlines will see the most cancellations due to “geographic proximity to France”.

Overflights – routes across French airspace, to Spain, Italy and Greece – will also be disrupted during the industrial action.

Mr O’Leary has repeatedly called on European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to protect overflights in such strikes. He said: “If President von ‘Derlayed-Again’ won’t protect overflights during national ATC strikes, then she should step aside and let someone competent do the job.”

He added: “Passengers flying from London to Rome or Brussels to Madrid shouldn’t be held hostage every time there’s a national ATC strike.”

Travellers have been encouraged by the Ryanair boss to complain about flight disruptions to transport ministers and the European Commission.

EasyJet CEO Kenton Jarvis has similarly commented on the planned French Air Traffic Control strike action next week: “Our passengers and crew have been impacted by ATC related disruption for too long and so a solution must be found.

“We are calling on the new head of the French aviation authority to urgently address this issue by building more resilience into the system and crucially, by protecting overflying on strike days to ensure the travel plans of passengers whose flights do not take off or land in France are not needlessly ruined.

“We need action on this now, so the rest of Europe is not held hostage when French Air Traffic Controllers go on strike.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson told Sky: “Airspace is sovereign, and it is for each state to decide how best to manage their own.

“We know strikes can cause disruption for passengers and airlines, and airports have robust resilience plans in place to minimise their impact.”

Read more: What does the October walkout mean for your flight?