The first European airline, Ryanair, announced Thursday that it had to cancel 170 flights due to a strike of French air controllers, deploring that travelers are taken “hostage” by such a movement. From Charleroi-Brussels Airport South (BSCA), the Irish company had to cancel seven flights initially scheduled for Thursday.
These canceled flights had to go to Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona and Alicante in Spain, Faro in Portugal, Tangier and Marrakech in Morocco and Toulouse in France, according to the spokesperson for BSCA, contacted by the Belga news agency. The consequences of the two -day strike in French air traffic control on Friday flights from Charleroi are not yet known.
Ryanair also called on the European Commission to “act urgently to reform EU air traffic control services” in order to prevent national strikes from causing cascade effects on the entire European traffic.
“Once again, European families are taken hostage”
“In addition to the flights to or from France, this strike will also affect all overflies from French airspace. This is due to France’s persistent incapacity to protect overflights during the national strikes of air traffic control services, “Ryanair said in a statement.
“Although only French air controllers are on strike, most of the assigned passengers do not even travel to or from France, but simply fly over French airspace on their way to their destination (for example: United Kingdom, Greece, Spain, Ireland, etc.)”, demonstrated the carrier.
For this one, “European airspace cannot be repeatedly closed simply because French air controllers strike for their personal comfort”.
“Once again, European families are taken hostage by the strikes of French air controllers,” denounced the boss of Ryanair, Michael O’Leary, quoted in the text. The strike, scheduled for Thursday and Friday, forced the company “to cancel 170 flights, disturbing more than 30,000 passengers”, depending on the company.
Two minority unions of French sky -skylights called for the strike on Thursday and Friday, to protest in particular against their working conditions.
