NO CONTROL
Ryanair forced to cancel 300 flights this week – with as many as 50,000 passengers affected
And what you can do if your flight is cancelled or delayed
RYANAIR has been forced to cancel hundreds of flights today due to French Air Traffic Control (ATC) strikes, despite them being called off at the last minute.
The walkouts have affected French airports, where as many as 70 per cent of flights have been grounded, with routes flying over the country also affected.
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France's DGAC civil aviation authority said on Wednesday it had asked airlines to cancel 75 per cent of Thursday's flights at Paris Orly airport, 55 per cent of flights at Paris Charles-De-Gaulle and 65 per cent of flights at Marseille.
Similar industrial action in France frequently impacts travel in Europe, limiting not only flights into France but also across the country's airspace.
The strikes were called off yesterday, after a higher pay deal was agreed - but disruption is still expected.
Ourania Georgoutsakou, the managing director of Airlines for Europe (A4E), said: "While the withdrawing of strike notice may offer some relief for some passengers, its last-minute nature means that there will still be significant disruption to flights in France and across parts of Europe tomorrow."
Read More on flight chaos
Ryanair has announced more than 300 flight cancellations today as a result of the strikes, affecting as many as 50,000 passengers.
They include routes from Great Britain to Spain and to Italy, renewing pressure on European Union officials to place more pressure on France to limit the impact of the labour actions.
The budget airline's CEO Michael O'Leary said in a statement that the EU Commission needs to protect routes flying over France while such walkouts are taking place.
He said: “French air traffic controllers are free to go on strike, that’s their right, but we should be cancelling French flights, not flights leaving Ireland, going to Italy, or flights from Germany to Spain or Scandinavia to Portugal.
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"The European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen has failed for five years to take any action to protect overflights and the single market for air travel.
"We’re again calling on her to take action to protect overflights which will eliminate over 90 per cent of these flight cancellations."
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O'Leary went on to urge European citizens to use upcoming European elections to put pressure on MEPs to find a solution to the problem.
He added: "In June, we will have European elections, we encourage everyone to vote in these elections and demand your MEP and the European Commission to take action to protect overflights.
"We can’t have the skies over Europe repeatedly closed because French Air Traffic Controllers are going on strike.
"Protect overflights during national ATC strikes, reduce flight cancellations and disruptions and let’s have a better summer for all of Europe’s citizens and visitors.”
Aviation industry group Airlines for Europe (A4E) warmed there would be "significant disruption" to parts of Europe and France today as a result.
They also claimed that as many as 16,000 flights were cancelled and 85,000 delayed last year due to air traffic control strikes in Europe.
What should I do if my Ryanair flight is cancelled?
The Sun's Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey explains what passengers affected by the Ryanair cancellations should do.
"Thousands of passengers are facing delays and cancellations this week, due to strike action by French ATC workers.
"And as many as 300 flights after being affected with Ryanair alone.
"Anyone who has been affected will be offered a full refund or change their flights on the same route, either with Ryanair or a different airline.
"However, it is unlikely you will be able to claim any compensation.
"This is because the strike is likely to be deemed an 'extraordinary circumstance' and out of the airline's control, due to it being an ATC strike, not a Ryanair staff strike."
The Ryanair cancellations are part of the 2,000 cancelled flights to and from France.
The UK Foreign Office has since updated it's travel advice for Brits heading to France.
The website states: "It is being reported that on Thursday 25 April, flights across France will be disrupted, with many cancelled, following a call for strike action by air traffic control unions.
"Check your operator’s advice before travelling, including where you are taking connecting flights."
Airline officials have also voiced concerns that air traffic control strikes could pose a risk to the Paris Olympics if sufficient deals aren't struck in advance.
With more than a million travellers expected to pass in and out of Paris during the games, strikes could cause even wider spread disruption.
In order to minimise disruption during future strikes, Ryanair has suggested three measures to protect flights over France.
They include:
- Protecting French overflights by law during ATC strikes "as they do in Greece, Italy and Spain".
- Allow Europe’s other ATCs to manage flights over France while French ATC are on strike.
- Mandate that French ATC unions must engage in binding arbitration before calling strikes.
EasyJet has been forced to ground a number of flights due to the strikes.
A spokesperson told Sun Online Travel: "Due to national air traffic control strike action in France on Thursday 25 April, the French authorities (DGAC) have requested that all airlines make significant cancellations to their flying programmes, with overflights also expected to be impacted by the action.
"Any customers whose flights are not able to operate by this have been notified in advance and offered the option to change their flight for free or receive a refund.
"While this is outside of our control, we would like to apologise to our customers for any disruption to their travel plans and inconvenience they may experience as a result of the strike action.
"To provide additional support all our customers services lines’ opening hours will be extended to 10pm."
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Meanwhile, this is how you can avoid flight disruption, according to a former airline worker.
And this aviation expert has predicted huge travel disruption and cancelled flights for Brits.
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