Ryanair condemns Ursula von der Leyen for repeated failure to protect EU passengers

French ATC strikes have unfairly cancelled over 627,000 passengers’ flights

On the 38^th day of French ATC strikes in just 3 months, Ryanair condemned EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen for her inexcusable failure to protect EU citizens/visitors’ fundamental right to the Freedom of Movement, by irresponsibly allowing EU skies to be closed repeatedly during French ATC strikes.

President von der Leyen has shown how little she cares about EU citizens/visitors and their rights by allowing over 627,000 Ryanair passengers’ flights in the first 3 months of 2023 alone to be cancelled at short notice due to French ATC strikes, disrupting travel plans, diminishing essential intra-European connectivity and damaging tourism. However, these passengers could easily be protected without impeding French ATC unions’ right to strike with the following measures:

1. Protect French overflights during ATC strikes (using minimum services laws) like in Greece, Italy & Spain
2. Allow Europe’s other ATCs to manage flights over France while French ATC strike
3. Mandate that French ATC unions engage in binding arbitration before calling strikes
4. Mandate advanced notification of strike participation

French unions can exercise their right to strike without being allowed to close the entire upper French airspace, as ATC unions in Spain, Italy and Greece avoid by protecting overflights. It is completely disproportionate and unfair that internal French flights are protected under Minimum Services Legislation, but EU citizens/visitors’ overflights from Germany, Spain, Italy, the UK and Ireland are cancelled.

President von der Leyen and the EU Commission have a duty to protect EU citizens’ right to the Freedom of Movement. Ryanair is calling on EU passengers to sign its Protect Passengers: Keep EU Skies Open petition and demand that the EU Commission and President von der Leyen take immediate action to protect their rights as EU citizens.

A spokesperson for Ryanair said:

“Today, French ATC are striking for the 38^th day in just 3 months with thousands more EU passengers having their flights to see friends and family unfairly cancelled at short notice. While we have no difficulty with French unions exercising their right to strike, we do expect President von der Leyen to do her job and defend and protect EU citizens/visitors’ fundamental right to the Freedom of Movement, which she and her College of Commissioners have inexplicably failed to do.

It is completely disproportionate and unfair that the French Government can use Minimum Services Legislation to protect internal French flights but force the cancellation of flights over France. President von der Leyen should protect EU citizens/visitors on non-French flights overflying French Airspace from Germany, Spain, Italy, the UK and Ireland. The EU’s Single Market for air travel and overflights should not be repeatedly cancelled because the EU Commission fails to take action.

Ryanair is calling on EU passengers to join our call on President von der Leyen and sign our Protect Passengers: Keep EU Skies Open petition to demand that the EU Commission take action to protect their rights as EU citizens.”