Ryanair and easyJet have cancelled hundreds of flights due to a looming strike by French air traffic controllers. Ryanair announced the cancellation of one hundred seventy services, responding to French authorities’ request for airlines to reduce flights at Paris airports by forty percent on Friday. EasyJet has opted to cancel two hundred seventy-four flights during this period of industrial action, related to ongoing disputes over staffing and equipment issues.

The strike is anticipated to disrupt all flights using French airspace, resulting in a ripple effect of cancellations and delays throughout Europe and beyond. Services to and from France, as well as flights over the country to destinations including the UK, Greece, Spain, and Ireland, will be particularly affected.

Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s group chief executive, has commented on the situation, describing the industrial action as “recreational” and highlighting the negative impact on European families. He has called for reforms to European Union air traffic control services to prevent these frequent disruptions, arguing that properly staffed services could reduce delays significantly.

Ryanair is urging the EU to ensure that air traffic services are adequately staffed during national strikes and to protect overflights, insisting that these changes could eliminate a substantial portion of air traffic control delays and disruptions that have become common in recent years.