Strike by French air traffic controllers hits Paris and Nice airports, causing widespread travel disruption across Europe at the peak of the holiday season.
Paris, July 3, 2025 — Tens of thousands of travelers across Europe have been affected after Ryanair cancelled over 170 flights due to a two-day strike by French air traffic controllers. The airline confirmed that the disruption has impacted the holiday plans of more than 30,000 passengers, not only on flights to and from France but also those flying over French airspace.
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The strike, led by the UNSA-ICNA union, stems from grievances over staff shortages, management issues, and the proposed implementation of a controversial clock-in system for controllers. The industrial action has already led to 25% of flights being cancelled at major Paris airports and up to 50% at Nice Airport. Further disruption is expected on Friday, with 40% of flights grounded at Charles de Gaulle, Orly, and Beauvais airports.
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Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary strongly criticized the strike, accusing air traffic controllers of “holding European families to ransom.” He appealed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to implement urgent reforms to ensure minimum service levels during strikes and protect overflight traffic from localized labor actions.
“This disruption is unfair to EU holidaymakers and must be addressed at a European level,” O’Leary said, urging Brussels to shield innocent passengers from recurring airspace shutdowns caused by domestic French disputes.
The French civil aviation authority (DGAC) has called for airlines to scale down operations across several airports. So far, no resolution has been reached, as talks between DGAC officials and the unions collapsed earlier this week.
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Other airlines, including EasyJet, also voiced frustration over the timing and impact of the strike. The airline expressed “deep disappointment” and called for a swift resolution to avoid further chaos.
Despite this latest setback, Ryanair said it operated over 109,000 flights in June 2025, and the strike has affected less than 1% of total flights. However, the carrier also cited ongoing challenges, including the Middle East conflict, which forced it to cancel more than 800 flights last month.
The industry body Airlines for Europe (A4E) called the strike “intolerable,” warning of serious disruptions to summer travel plans unless urgent action is taken.
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Ryanair flight cancellations, French air traffic control strike, France airport strike, UNSA-ICNA union, European flight delays, Paris Charles de Gaulle disruption, Michael O’Leary, EasyJet travel delays, summer holiday travel chaos, DGAC negotiations