Europe’s commercial aviation industry has been hit by severe disruption on 3 and 4 July 2025, following a strike by French air traffic controllers. As unions are raising issues such as chronic under-staffing, low budget airline Ryanair has released a statement by CEO Michael O’Leary, asking Ursula von der Leyen to reform Europe’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) service.
The strikes by the French ATC service have had a major impact on many Ryanair flights. According to the press release, 400 Ryanair flights and more than 70,000 Ryanair passengers have been impacted by the strike.
“The bizarre justification for this week’s ATC strike is their objection to “short staffing”. Every year they find something new to strike about. While we recognise their right to strike, Europe’s airlines have repeatedly called on the European Commission to protect overflights. It is unacceptable, that flights which overfly France, and which could operate without disruption, are needlessly cancelled, simply because the European Commission won’t protect overflights, or defend the single market. This is unacceptable,” Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary said.
‼French Air Traffic Control Strikes‼
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) July 3, 2025
Latest update from Michael O’Leary: pic.twitter.com/zBAN1dyo0Y
According to Ryanair, 350 of the 400 flights that were impacted concerned so-called overflights – planes headed towards another destination that were simply flying over France. The French government called upon the minimum service legislation in order to maintain as many flights within the country as possible, thus sacrificing international aviation and overflights in particular.
As far as Ryanair is concerned, the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen has a duty to protect the single market for air travel and to keep the skies over France open. For the last six years, Ryanair has been asking the Commission to firstly, ensure that ATC services are fully staffed for the first wave of morning flight departures, and secondly, to protect overflights during National ATC strikes.
“Ursula von der Leyen and her new Commission claim they have put Europe’s competitiveness at the centre of their economic strategy. Even the Draghi Report last year identified the urgent need for ATC reform, which can be delivered by protecting overflights and ensuring that ATC services are properly staffed. Yet 12 months later, nothing has changed. Ursula von der Leyen hides in her office in Brussels, while thousands of European citizens and their families have their flights and their holidays needlessly disrupted,” O’Leary stated.
French Air Traffic Control Strikes…
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) July 3, 2025
❌ 400+ flights cancelled
❌ 70K+ passengers affected
❌ Zero action from EU Commission
Full story in comments pic.twitter.com/sAlLHojVIL
Ryanair says that while Europe doesn’t allow its water ways, its roads or its train lines to be repeatedly closed by strikes, this isn’t the case for air traffic. In the press statement, the airline accuses “a tiny number of Air Traffic Controllers in France, Germany, and Spain” to engage in “recreational strikes, when they have little to complain about”. Moreover, the CEO is calling on Ursula von der Leyen to quit if Europe’s ATC service doesn’t change.
“If Ursula von der Leyen isn’t willing to deliver competitiveness, isn’t willing to protect the single market, isn’t willing to protect overflights during National ATC strikes, then she should quit and let somebody more effective deliver the urgent ATC reform and the competitiveness, which Europe’s economy and our airlines’ passengers so badly need. The Airline Industry is fed up with Ursula von der Leyen’s failure to deliver ATC reform. If she won’t reform – then she should go,” O’Leary continued.
468 flights cancelled… and counting
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) July 3, 2025
❌ French Air Traffic Control strikes continue ❌
Passengers affected have been emailed.
Still no action by EU commission ‼️ https://t.co/KhUW9caTwY
The French strikes led by the UNSA-ICNA union are scheduled to continue through 4 July 2025, coinciding with the start of the French holidays. All passengers travelling within Europe are asked to check their flight information before leaving for the airport.
