By - Passengers have been warned that around half of today’s flights may be delayed
- One of the largest air traffic control union withdrew their call to strike yesterday
- Spain is likely to bear the brunt of the strikes, The Association of Airlines said
- Has YOUR flight been affected? Email shannon.mcguigan@mailonline.co.uk
Airline passengers were subjected to farcical travel chaos today as hundreds of flights were axed over fears of worker walkouts in France – even though the strike never actually went ahead.
Ryanair said it cancelled 300 journeys, affecting 50,000 of its customers, while fellow budget airline easyJet cancelled another 200.
While many flights impacted affected mainland Europe, British passengers heading to and from continental destinations like Italy and Spain also suffered disruption.
The chaos came despite France’s biggest air traffic controller union SNCTA deciding to withdraw their call to strike at the eleventh hour on Wednesday.
But the deal with management came too late to alleviate the mayhem significantly as France‘s civil aviation authority, the DGAC, had already ordered airlines to cancel most of their flights.
Ryanair has cancelled more than 300 flights – 55,000 customers are set to be impacted (file image)
The last minute cancellations are a result of air traffic control strikes happening in France today (file image)
The DGAC previously had asked airlines to cancel 75 per cent of Thursday’s flights at Paris Orly airport as well as over half of flights at both Paris Charles-De-Gaulle and Marseille airports
Dublin Airport confirmed some 36 flights have been axed today as a result of the disruption, with other airlines including Aer Lingus warning passengers there may be delays and cancellations, and to check their flight status before departing.
Air traffic control strikes across the Channel frequently impact travel throughout the continent, as they don’t just limit flights into France but also across its airspace.
Several journeys have been cancelled because they would be flying through French airspace whilst venturing to other locations such as Italy, Greece and Spain.
Ryanair allege France has ‘failed to protect overflights during its national air strikes’, whilst also urging the EU to place more pressure on France to limit the impact of labour actions.
Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary said on Wednesday: ‘French air traffic controllers are free to go on strike, that’s their right.
‘But we should be cancelling French flights, not flights leaving Ireland, going to Italy, or flights from Germany to Spain or Scandinavia to Portugal,’
The Association of Airlines told Birmingham Mail that Spain is likely to bear the brunt of the aviation strikes in France.
They have also warned travellers that around half of flights taking off today can expect some kind of delay.
This comes shortly after France’s largest air traffic control union – SNCTA – announced they were calling off the industrial action on April 25 after striking a deal regarding working conditions with bosses.
The irish airline company has urged the EU to place more pressure on France to limit the impact of labour actions (pictured: Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary)
However the agreements came too late to prevent traffic disruptions as many talks with other unions had not been finalised, the DGAC reports.
Head of Airlines for Europe (A4E), Ourania Georgoutsakou said on Wednesday: ‘While the withdrawing of strike notice may offer some relief for some passengers, its last-minute nature means that there will still be significant disruption to flights in France and across parts of Europe.’
Last year 85,000 flights were delayed and another 16,000 were cancellled due to air traffic control strikes in Europe according to A4E.
Airline officials have also voiced concerns that air traffic control strikes could pose a risk to the Paris Olympics if sufficient deals aren’t struck in advance.
With over a million travellers expected to pass in and out of Paris during the Games, strikes could cause even wider spread disruption.
