The French Air Traffic Control Strikes which were due to have started this Tuesday morning have been postponed until further notice. In a statement Ryanair said “great (temporary) news BUT still a huge issue that affects all passengers flying over French airspace (even those not flying to/from France).”
"Members of the syndicat majoritaire des contrôleurs aériens (SNCTA) had proposed strikes ‘from the morning of October 7 until the end of night duty on the morning of October 10’ in a dispute over pay and working conditions. IT would not only affect flights heading to France, but also ‘overflights’ going to other popular destinations such as Spain, Portugal, and Italy."
CEO Michael O’Leary has repeatedly called on European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to step up reform of the current system. Some countries, like Spain, Italy, and Greece, reportedly protect overflights during ATC strikes.
“The UK is the country whose flights get cancelled most because of the geographic proximity to France,“ he said. Britons faced flights being axed at the last minute and others rerouted hundreds of miles out of the way, resulting in arrivals creeping into the early hours or simply overnighting at hubs. Even those flying to Greece, and parts of Germany and Switzerland should prepare for knock-on delays.
SNCTA said it had halted its proposed strikes following agreements and the French prime minister’s postponement of the French finance bill parliamentary debate.