By Geoff Percival,Stephen Aherne

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Ryanair has warned it may be forced to cancel up to 700 overflights across France and disrupt the travel plans of more than 125,000 passengers due to latest French air traffic control (ATC) strikes due to happen on Wednesday and Thursday of this week (September 17 & 18).

As a result, the airline has again called on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to take urgent action to protect all EU overflights during the strike action.

Ryanair said in a statement: “These overflight cancellations would be avoided, if Ursula von der Leyen had taken any action over the last two years to separate the upper air space and allow Eurocontrol to manage overflights during national ATC strikes, as Airlines 4 Europe (A4E) has repeatedly called for. President von der Leyen wrongly claims that ATC is a “National Competence”, when overflights are a Single Market Competence, and therefore subject to protection by the EU Commission.

The airline added: “When the Draghi Report was published in Sept 2024, it highlighted the multi-billion cost of ATC inefficiencies and flight delays. Despite promising urgent action on the Draghi Report, Ursula von der Leyen has done nothing over the last 12 months to reform the EU’s broken ATC system. Europe’s airlines are united in calling for 2 effective reforms (1) require that national ATC services are fully staffed for the first wave of morning flights (no action taken) and (2) that the EU Commission protects overflights during national ATC strikes (again no action taken). This would not infringe the right of French Air Traffic Controllers to go on strike, but it would protect those flights that are only flying “over” France on 17 and 18 September next.”

Ryanair Group Chief Executive, Michael O’Leary, said: “As usual, Ursula von der Leyen has done nothing over the last 12 months on the Draghi Report or ATC reform. Europe’s airlines are agreed on 2 simple and effective reforms, namely (1) ensuring that national ATC providers are fully staffed for the first daily wave of departures and (2) protecting overflights during national ATC strikes. President von der Leyen, who talks a lot about efficiency and competitiveness has repeatedly failed to do anything about it. It is not too late for her to stop talking and start doing. She needs now to authorise Eurocontrol to oversee all overflights over France on 17 and 18 of September next, so that thousands of European flights and millions of European passengers do not have their flights delayed or cancelled, because a small number of French Air Traffic Controllers wish to go on strike. The French can go on strike, but Europe must protect overflights, which are a Single Market Competence and not a “National Competence” as Ursula von der Leyen repeatedly claims.

“Over the last five years, President von der Leyen has proven to be useless in promoting competitiveness or efficiency in Europe. Under her leadership European consumers suffer the highest enviro costs (while we exempt non-European airlines from their fair share of Enviro Taxes), the most burdensome regulation and the world’s least efficient ATC services. Thus far she has been useless at delivering ATC reform, and we call on her again today: Protect overflights next week or resign! If you are not willing to protect the Single Market, then return to Germany, to allow somebody competent to deliver efficiency and competitiveness and protect the Single Market for air travel.”