Air Travel Chaos Looms: Ryanair Slashes 1,800 Flights Amid French Strike

The SNCTA, a union representing 60% of French air traffic control personnel, has called for a three-day strike, from the morning of October 7 until the end of the night service on October 10. This mobilization concerns all air traffic controllers (ICNA, TSEEAC) as well as the traffic watch agents at Paris-CDG. The demands include a salary catch-up in the face of inflation, an improvement in the governance of operations, the removal of constraints considered ineffective, and the respect of commitments made previously, reports Air Journal.

Ryanair is the first airline to sound the alarm about this strike, although the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) has not yet confirmed the extent of the disruptions. The Irish low-cost carrier plans to cancel 1,800 flights in total, which would affect around 100,000 passengers across Europe. The cancellations do not only concern flights to or from France, but also all those crossing French airspace, particularly affecting connections between Northern Europe and destinations such as Morocco, Spain, Italy, or Greece.

"At the moment, we operate around 3,500 flights per day, of which around 900 cross French airspace. About two-thirds of these flights, or around 600, are canceled each day in the event of an air traffic control strike," explained Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s CEO, in an interview with Sky News. The United Kingdom would be the country most affected due to its geographical proximity to France. These cancellations could cost the company around £20 million, or €23 million. Passengers scheduled to travel next week are advised to regularly check the status of their flight on the Ryanair website or app.

For several months, Ryanair has been multiplying criticisms against French air traffic control, denouncing "poor management" and "recreational strikes." The company points to staff shortages and repeated work stoppages that are leading to a significant increase in delays. According to Eurocontrol figures, 57,000 Ryanair flights have suffered avoidable delays due to French air traffic control since January 2025, a situation that affects more than 10 million passengers per year, representing a 66% increase in delays compared to the same period last year. Denouncing the inaction of the European Commission in the face of this situation, the Irish low-cost carrier is calling for urgent reform at the European level.