Ryanair cancels 400 flights today
RYANAIR has cancelled hundreds of flights today due to air traffic control strikes.
The budget airline has revealed that walkouts in France have forced them to ground 400 journeys throughout Europe.
The carrier has stated that the flights are "overflights to/from Ireland, the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain", but not France where the strikes are taking place.
With air traffic controllers required to make contact with planes flying through French airspace, it is not only flights in and out of the country that are affected.
Ryanair tweeted: "400 Ryanair flights cancelled today due to the latest French ATC strike, the vast majority of which are overflights to/from Ireland, the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain (not France).
"While we respect the right of the French ATC unions to strike, it should be French domestic flights that get cancelled, not EU overflights."
The airline submitted a petition to EU Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen last week, demanding that minimum service laws are introduced to "protect overflights during repeated ATC strikes".
The petition was signed by more than a million passengers who have had their holiday plans hampered by similar strikes.
Similar rules are in place in Greece, Italy and Spain, meaning flights passing overhead are not affected by similar industrial action.
The current strike that has resulted in today's cancellations is planned to run until 6am on June 7.
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As a result, the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) has asked all airlines to reduce their flight schedules to and from some French airports today.
This is not the first time this summer that ATC strikes have grounded Ryanair flights.
Over the May bank holiday, more than 220 flights were cancelled because of the same reason.
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary said then that it was an unfair situation to put travellers in.
He said: “It is unfair that flights from the UK to Spain or from Italy to Portugal are being cancelled simply because a bunch of French air traffic control units want to go on strike.
“We respect their right to strike, but if they want to strike, cancel the French flights, protect the overflights."
As part of the petition, Ryanair has asked for the EU to require a 21-day notice of strike action and to require 72 hour notice of employee participation to "minimise passenger disruption".
Among those affected were John Slater, who tweeted: "@Ryanair @askryanair My families flight (7) of us has been cancelled this morning Malaga to Manchester.
"The next available Ryanair flight is Friday. The hotel has given us the opportunity to retain our accommodation until Friday. Is this possible, to save further inconvenience?"
Donna Holt also tweeted: "Absolute joke ours has been cancelled. Now been transferred from Manchester to East Midlands with a 9 hour delay.
"No idea what to do about transfers, can’t get in touch with the holiday company as it’s too busy and yet no compensation apparently - livid!!"
A spokesperson said: "It is utterly unacceptable that Ursula von der Leyen is ignoring these more than 1.1 million passengers, who are sick and tired of having their overflights cancelled at short notice due to repeated ATC strikes.
"As a result, hundreds more overflights are being disproportionately cancelled by yet another French ATC strike taking place today.
"It is completely impermissible that ATC strikes can result in the cancellation of thousands of EU passengers’ flights, while France and other EU Member States use Minimum Service Laws to protect their domestic flights.
"If ATC unions insist on striking, which is their right, then they should cancel flights to/from the affected State and protect overflights, not cancel EU overflights from Germany, Spain, Italy, the UK.
"The EU Commission must now take urgent action and insist that all States protect overflights during ATC strikes as is already done in Greece, Italy and Spain.”
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Meanwhile, here is what you should do if your flight is cancelled.
And this is how to get a refund or compensation if your flight is grounded.
