Ryanair wants the European Union (EU) to force France to allow flights in its airspace even when air traffic controllers are on strike, writes Politico.
On Monday, the 20th of March, representatives of Ryanair visited Brussels and informed that they submitted a petition to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. They pointed out that strikes in France over French President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reform had led to hundreds of canceled trips.
Ryanair wants the EC to force France to include the flights on its «minimum services» list. These are jobs that need to be done even if the sector as a whole is on strike. The company’s CEO, Eddie Wilson, said that it was up to Brussels to ensure freedom of movement for European passengers.
The air carrier stated that it is not fair that internal French issues and the strike also affect passengers whose flights only cross French airspace. The airline’s chief operating officer, Neal McMahon, said that those going to France are aware that they will be affected by the strike: «But somebody going from Valencia to Milan won’t be able to understand that it was delayed or potentially canceled because the French are on strike. It’s impossible for consumers to understand that and it’s not fair.»
The latest wave of protests has forced 300 flights to be canceled and another 6,000 delayed,
affecting a total of about one million passengers. Ryanair representatives also highlighted the environmental impact of detouring to avoid crossing France. They suggested that control of French airspace could be taken over by European air traffic watchdog Eurocontrol when workers strike.
Wilson added that French air traffic controllers have been on strike for 13 days since the start of the year and plan to do so again.
If the company’s petition collects one million signatures from seven different EU countries, the EC will have to consider it.