French controllers are due to take action tomorrow (15 September), affecting overflying as well as traffic to the country’s airports.

Ryanair said disruption would affect 80,000 passengers ahead of the weekend.

The airline said: “It is inexplicable that flights which overfly France are disrupted by French ATC strikes, yet domestic French flights are protected by minimum service laws. 

“The European Union must step in and protect overflights so that passengers who are travelling between Spain, Italy, Ireland, Germany, etc. are not disrupted just because they fly over France while French ATC unions strike.”

Ryanair said unions should be required to engage in binding arbitration instead of strikes, protect overflying and allow other countries’ controllers to manage overflying while French controllers take action.
  
Ryanair operations director Neal McMahon said: “It is inexcusable that passengers who are not even flying to/from France are disrupted because they overfly French airspace at a time when French laws protect French domestic flights.

It is time that the EU step in and protect overflights so that European passengers are not repeatedly held to ransom by a tiny French ATC union.”