Dublin-Nantes FR1986@08:00 is among 45 flights cancelled by Ryanair due to the French ATC strike.
Ryanair says cancellations are possible and delays likely as French ATC unions closed the skies over Europe.
Roger Rousseau’s SNCTA called a five day French air traffic controller strike in Brest, Aix-en-Provence and Bordeaux from Monday 6 March 2017 which may impact flights to and from France. There is a separate call to strike on Tuesday March 7 by Air France employees.
The French Civil Aviation Authority has asked airlines to reduce their flight schedule between west and south-west France, the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa. It said the strike would affect he strike would affect 25pc of flights to the south and 33pc of flights to the west.
Air France expects to operate all long-haul flights, 99pc of our short and medium-haul flights departing from Paris Charles de Gaulle and 83pc of domestic flight departing from Paris Orly or French province. EasyJet has cancelled 38 of its flights for Monday but Belfast flights are not affected.
SNCTA denied repsonibility for the strike, blaming the approach to application of the agreement signed on July 19th, 2016 with the public authorities: (Le SNCTA, syndicat majoritaire des contrôleurs aériens, n’est pas à l’origine du préavis de grève du 6 au 10 mars. Il s’inscrit au contraire dans la démarche de mise en application de l’accord signé le 19 juillet 2016 avec les pouvoirs publics)
Ryanair called upon the Commission to introduce three simple measures which would alleviate the impact of these frequent ATC strikes on Europe’s citizens:
- require French ATC unions to engage in binding arbitration instead of strikes
- allow Europe’s other ATCs to operate overflights over France while their unions strike
- protect French overflights (under minimum service obligations) during French ATC strikes
Ryanair advised customers due to travel on Monday to check the status of their flight on the Ryanair.com website before travelling to the airport, and urged all its customers to sign the A4E “Keep Europe’s Skies Open” petition, which it will present to the European Commission when it accrues a million signatures.
Ryanair’s Kenny Jacobs said: After a record year of ATC disruption in 2016, French Air Traffic Control unions have announced further strike action this week, and as a result, we regret we’ve been forced to cancel 45 flights on Monday, 6th March. All affected customers have been contacted and informed of their options and we advise all customers travelling on Monday to check the status of their flight on the Ryanair.com website before leaving for their airport. We call on the French Government and European Commission to take immediate action to prevent thousands of European consumers from having their travel plans disrupted by a tiny group of ATC unions going on strike. They cannot stand idly by and allow another summer of disruption and travel misery for European consumers to take place. We urge all customers to sign the A4E online petition, Keep Europe’s Skies Open, to help protect Europe from repeated disruption by ATC unions.”
SNCTA described Ryanair as a dangerous step in the wrong direction for the future of European ATMand
- The use of deceitful figures and information
- Press and communication campaigns aiming at the manipulation of the EU Institutions, passengers and stakeholders, including CANSO
- Blasting minds on the high costs of aviation taxes, airport charges and Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) strikes hoping that the force of repetition leads to general acceptance
Charles-André Quesnel, ETF ATM Chair commented: ‘In addition, the EU Institutions have no competence on issues related to the organisation and possible limitations on the right to strike. Indeed, requesting that the impact of industrial action on passengers must be minimised notably by a compulsory minimum of 72 hours notification of participation in a strike is a responsibility of Member States, ANSP and trade unions. ATCEUC and ETF wish to remind that the national interest should not be guided by an airline association whose sole aim is to increase the profits of its members.
- Further flight info here.
- Watch here Michael O’Leary on how ATC strikes are affecting the lives of citizens and neighbouring ATC should take control of overflights of France.
Separately, British Airways mixed staff, which operate flights from Belfast to London but not those form Dublin or long haul flights, have also called a strike until Thursday (March 9). BA says the “vast majority” of flights to and from Heathrow will operate as normal.
