French ATC Strikes Disrupt Hundreds of EU Flights

Ryanair and easyJet are among the major European carriers facing widespread disruption due to air traffic control strikes in France on July 3 and 4, 2025. The French civil aviation authority (DGAC) requested airlines to cut flight operations across several airports, leading to hundreds of cancellations and delays.

Ryanair reported the cancellation of 170 flights across the two strike days, affecting more than 30,000 passengers. The airline expressed frustration that most of the impacted travelers were not flying to or from France, but merely overflying French airspace. easyJet also announced 274 flight cancellations, while IAG, the parent company of British Airways, responded by deploying larger aircraft to help limit passenger disruption. Vueling, also under IAG, confirmed schedule changes to reduce the impact on operations.

Royal Air Maroc noted disruptions to its French airport services as well. Dublin Airport confirmed that 16 flights—eight arrivals and eight departures—were cancelled by 9 a.m. on July 3. These included routes to Paris, Biarritz, Nice, and Murcia in Spain. A spokesperson advised passengers to check directly with their airline for flight updates before traveling.

The DGAC initially requested a 25% reduction in flights at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports on July 3. Other affected airports included Nice, Bastia, and Calvi, where flight reductions reached 50%, and Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Ajaccio, and Figari, where a 30% cut was implemented. On July 4, the DGAC updated its directive, requesting a further 40% reduction in flights at the Paris airports.

The strikes, driven by ongoing discontent among air traffic controllers over working conditions, have seen one of two participating unions extend action into July 4. The disruptions underscore the growing strain within France’s aviation sector amid record flight volumes and staffing challenges.

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary criticized the strike’s impact on European air travel, calling on EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to enact urgent reforms. O’Leary emphasized that “overflights” should not be affected by national strikes, saying it is unfair to holiday travelers across the EU.

“This is another example of how European families are being held to ransom by French air traffic control,” O’Leary said. “We demand immediate intervention and a solution that protects passengers who are simply flying over French airspace.”

With more flight cancellations expected if labor disputes persist, airlines are closely monitoring updates from the DGAC and urging travelers to stay informed. The repeated disruption of European airspace due to French ATC strikes continues to highlight the need for coordinated action at the EU level to ensure uninterrupted transit routes for millions of travelers.

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