Thirty-five Thousand Ryanair Passengers Affected As French Atc Strike Disrupts European Airspace: Ryanair Urged Urgent Eu Reforms Needed

Published on September 19, 2025

On 18th September 2025, Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, faced important disruptions owed to a French Air Traffic Control (ATC) strike, which resulted successful delays for complete 35,000 passengers. This wide disruption affected 190 Ryanair flights, galore of which were overflights, meaning they were flying crossed French airspace but not to aliases from France. The business highlighted nan request for urgent betterment of nan EU ATC system, peculiarly to protect overflights during nationalist ATC strikes. This disruption came astatine a costs to passengers, airlines, and nan wide European aviation market, and has raised concerns astir nan inefficiency of nan current ATC system.

The Impact connected Travelers: Frustration and Delays

The French ATC strike had a important effect connected travelers, peculiarly those flying connected Ryanair, arsenic their flights were delayed by up to 3 hours. These delays affected much than 35,000 Ryanair passengers, astir of whom were walking betwixt different European destinations, specified arsenic from London to Rome aliases Athens to Dublin, and not to aliases from France. The strikes, which were linked to disputes complete France’s nationalist budget, led to delays for travelers who were simply passing done French airspace.

It is important to statement that 70% of nan delayed flights were overflights, meaning they were flying crossed French airspace but had nary volition of landing successful aliases departing from France. This added different furniture of vexation for passengers, arsenic nan disruptions were wholly unrelated to their recreation plans aliases destinations. Passengers connected these flights had to strengthen agelong waits, contempt not having immoderate relationship to nan issues causing nan onslaught successful nan first place.

These delays not only led to rider vexation but besides disrupted nan operations of nan hose industry. For airlines for illustration Ryanair, which are focused connected ratio and low-cost travel, specified disruptions tin person important consequences connected their schedules and operations. In addition, airdrome operations crossed Europe were affected, pinch aggregate flights being delayed aliases canceled, starring to ripple effects connected nan broader European aviation network.

Ryanair’s Call for Reform: Protecting Overflights During Strikes

In consequence to nan French ATC strike and nan resulting disruptions, Ryanair made a nationalist entreaty to EU President Ursula von der Leyen for urgent betterment of nan EU ATC system. The hose called for changes that would protect overflights during national ATC strikes. Ryanair’s vexation lies successful nan truth that these overflights were delayed contempt not being linked to France, which has nary nonstop relationship to nan passengers’ last destinations.

Ryanair is urging that Eurocontrol, nan statement responsible for managing European aerial traffic, beryllium fixed much authority to negociate upper airspace during national ATC strikes, frankincense ensuring that overflights are not impacted by section labour disputes. Ryanair has pointed retired that nan delays could person been avoided pinch amended management, peculiarly by Eurocontrol, which is amended equipped to grip overflight operations without disrupting nan full European airspace.

The Draghi Report and nan Need for Reform

The Draghi Report, published successful September 2024, underscored nan important economical costs associated pinch ATC inefficiencies and nan wide delays successful European aviation. The study revealed that ATC delays are costing nan manufacture billions of euros each year, pinch passengers and airlines base nan financial burden. Yet, contempt nan findings, Ursula von der Leyen and nan European Commission person grounded to return meaningful action to reside nan issue.

Ryanair’s telephone for betterment emphasizes 2 captious changes that are needed to reside nan ongoing inefficiencies wrong nan EU ATC system:

1. Fully staffing nationalist ATC services for nan first activity of greeting flights, pinch penalties for those that neglect to meet staffing requirements.
2. Protecting overflights during nationalist ATC strikes by enabling Eurocontrol to negociate these flights without delays.

These reforms, Ryanair argues, would importantly trim nan negative impact connected passengers and airlines, amended nan efficiency of European airspace, and trim nan financial strain connected nan aviation sector.

The Upcoming October Strike: More Disruptions Expected

The French ATC strike successful September is not nan last. French unions person already announced plans for different strike from 7-9 October, which is expected to origin further disruptions to flights crossed Europe. Ryanair has warned that hundreds of flights will beryllium delayed aliases canceled arsenic a consequence of nan strike, erstwhile again impacting overflight passengers who will look nan aforesaid issues arsenic successful September.

This upcoming onslaught highlights nan persistent problem wrong nan European ATC system, wherever national ATC strikes disrupt flights that are not moreover connected to nan state involved. The imaginable for continued disruptions underscores nan urgency of reform to guarantee that overflights are protected from specified disruptions successful nan future.

Why Protecting Overflights is Critical for Travelers

The rumor of overflights during nationalist ATC strikes is captious for respective reasons, particularly for travelers. First, overflights impact many passengers walking betwixt European countries who are not moreover flying to aliases from nan strike-affected country. This creates unnecessary delays and frustration for travelers, arsenic evidenced by nan 35,000 Ryanair passengers who were delayed owed to nan September French ATC strike.

Second, overflight disruptions impact nan entire aviation industry. Airlines are forced to cancel aliases hold flights, starring to important financial losses for some nan airlines and nan passengers. These delays create a ripple effect, impacting not conscionable nan contiguous flights but besides affecting airport operations and early flight schedules crossed nan continent.

Lastly, protecting overflights is basal for nan efficiency of European airspace. Eurocontrol is amended equipped to negociate overflight operations successful nan arena of national ATC strikes, allowing for a much coordinated attack to aerial postulation management. This attack would minimize disruptions to travelers and let airlines to run smoothly during strikes.

The Path Forward: Reforming nan EU ATC System

The ongoing French ATC strikes person erstwhile again highlighted nan urgent request for reform wrong nan EU ATC system. With Ryanair and different European airlines calling for reforms to protect overflights during national ATC strikes, nan EU Commission must enactment swiftly to reside nan inefficiencies and disruptions affecting travelers.

The Draghi Report has intelligibly shown nan precocious economic costs of ATC delays, and it is clip for nan EU to instrumentality meaningful reforms that protect some passengers and nan aviation industry. Eurocontrol must beryllium fixed much authority to negociate overflights, and nationalist ATC services must beryllium afloat staffed to debar disruptions, peculiarly during nan engaged greeting hours.

As French ATC strikes proceed to disrupt flights crossed Europe, nan EU Commission must prioritize reforms to safeguard nan Single European Airspace, protect overflights, and guarantee that European citizens are not burdened by avoidable delays caused by national strikes.

[Image Credit: Ryanair]