French air traffic chaos: Over 1,500 flights axed as ATC strike hits peak travel
French air traffic controllers' strike cancels 1,500+ flights, stranding 300,000 passengers. Details on airline disruptions, passenger rights, and Europe’s summer travel crisis.
A HUGE strike by French air traffic controllers has wrecked summer travel plans for nearly 300,000 people.
More than 1,500 flights were cancelled on July 3–4 across Europe during the busy "Grand Départ" holiday period. Major airlines like Ryanair scrapped 170 flights (affecting 30,000 passengers), while easyJet cut 274 flights, says BBC.
Paris airports faced fewer flights on Thursday and even fewer on Friday, with Nice in southern France losing nearly half its flights. Even flights not landing in France were disrupted if they passed through French airspace, impacting routes like UK to Spain or Ireland to Greece, according to Euronews.
“Airlines for Europe (A4E) strongly condemns the French air traffic control (ATC) strike taking place today and tomorrow,” European industry lobby Airlines for Europe said in a statement, as reported by Reuters.
"Tens of thousands of travellers in France and across Europe have seen their summer getaway grounded as French air-traffic controllers walk out during the Grand Départ; one of the busiest periods for summer travel," the statement continued.
Controllers demand fixes to broken system
Why did the controllers walk out? Unions say France’s air traffic system is understaffed, uses outdated technology, and suffers from “toxic management.”
One union leader explained that their tools are "on their last legs," forcing overworked staff to handle more flights with failing equipment, according to Reuters. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot called the strike timing "unacceptable," but controllers argue they’ve warned for months about unsafe conditions.
This disruption will linger beyond the strike. Delays piled up Thursday, with flights into Nice running 90 minutes late. Travelers should:
Ryanair’s CEO blasted the strike for "holding families to ransom" and urged the EU to protect overflights during national strikes. With Europe’s skies busier than ever (38,000 daily flights), experts warn summer chaos will continue without major reforms.
