Over 60 flights cancelled as French air traffic controllers go back on strike

 

A strike by French Air Traffic Controllers will see more than 60 flights cancelled by Ryanair and Aer Lingus on Thursday.

Ryanair says it has been forced to cancel 56 flights to, from and over France – and is again calling on the European Commission to take action.

While Aer Lingus is to cancel six flights between France and Ireland.

This will be the 51st French strike since 2009, and 11th in the past 12 weeks.

Ryanair says this latest strike is being aimed “directly to upset the travel plans of football fans looking to attend the European Championships.”

Ryanair and other EU airlines have repeatedly called upon the Commission to introduce measures which would alleviate the impact of such of strikes on consumers.

They are asking French air traffic control unions to engage in binding arbitration instead of strikes to resolve their claims, and to allow Europe’s other air traffic controllers to operate overflights over France while unions are on strike.

Ryanair has advised customers travelling on Thursday to check the status of their flight.

newstalk