A total of 16 flights connecting Dublin Airport with Paris, Biarritz, Nice, and Murcia in Spain have been canceled due to a nationwide air traffic controller strike in France, set to affect operations today and tomorrow.
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Graeme McQueen, a spokesperson for DAA, confirmed, “The cancellations include eight departures and eight arrivals.” It’s worth noting that, as of now, there are no reported cancellations for flights arriving at or departing from Cork Airport today.
For travelers flying to or over mainland Europe, McQueen advises, “We recommend that passengers check directly with their airline for the latest updates on their flight status.”
In light of the strike, Ryanair announced the cancellation of 170 flights, impacting approximately 30,000 passengers. This disruption comes at a particularly busy time, coinciding with the beginning of Europe’s summer holiday season.
The French civil aviation authority, DGAC, has requested several airlines to reduce their flight schedules at Paris airports by 40% on July 4th due to this planned strike.
As Ryanair noted in a statement, “In addition to the flights to and from France being canceled, this strike will also impact all French overflights.” This means that passengers traveling over French airspace—such as those flying from the UK to Greece or from Spain to Ireland—will face similar challenges.
Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, has voiced his concerns, urging European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to implement urgent reforms for European Union air traffic services. He stated, “Once again, European families are held to ransom by French air traffic controllers going on strike. It is simply unacceptable that flights over French airspace are being canceled or delayed as a result of yet another ATC strike.” He further emphasized, “It makes no sense and is abundantly unfair to EU passengers and families going on holiday.”
O’Leary is calling for decisive changes to ensure that air traffic control services are fully staffed during peak departure times and that overflights are protected during national strikes. “These two essential reforms would eliminate 90% of all ATC-related delays and cancellations, safeguarding EU passengers from recurring disruptions caused by French ATC strikes,” he asserted.
Ryanair reported that it has also been impacted by recent conflicts in the Middle East, leading to the cancellation of over 800 flights last month. The airline had to adjust its schedules amid the tensions between Israel and Iran, as well as ongoing hostilities in Gaza. Last week, operations at Dubai airport in the UAE were similarly disrupted, with passengers advised to brace for additional delays and cancellations.
Despite these challenges, Ryanair managed to operate more than 109,000 flights in June, indicating that fewer than 1% of their operations were affected. They carried a total of 19.9 million passengers during the month, marking a 3% increase compared to the same period last year.
For travelers looking to navigate this complex landscape, staying informed is key. As always, keeping those lines of communication open with airlines can make all the difference in ensuring a smoother travel experience.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.
