Air Traffic Controller Strike Causes Over 1100 Flight Cancellations in France, Primarily at Paris Airports on a Friday
**France's Air Traffic Controllers' Strike Disrupts Summer Travel Across Europe**
The ongoing air traffic controllers' strike in France, which began on July 3, 2025, is causing significant disruptions to air travel across the continent. The strike, led by unions such as UNSA-ICNA, is demanding better working conditions, more personnel to handle increasing air traffic, and protesting new monitoring measures following a near-collision incident at Bordeaux airport [1][3].
The strike has resulted in the cancellation of over 1,500 flights across France on July 3 and 4, affecting more than 300,000 passengers. Specifically, about 40% of flights were canceled at Paris airports, while half of flights were canceled in Nice and 30% in Marseille and other cities [1][2][3]. Major airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet have been severely impacted. Ryanair canceled over 400 flights affecting 70,000 passengers, while Easyjet canceled 274 flights [1][2].
The strike affects flights not only to and from France but also those passing through French airspace. A4E calculated "almost 500,000 minutes" of delays in Europe on Thursday, on nearly 33,000 commercial flights [4]. Parisian airports and Nice experienced the most cancellations on Friday.
Airlines have criticized the timing of the strike, which coincides with the peak summer travel season. Ryanair has urged the European Union to reform air traffic rules to mitigate such disruptions [2][3]. The French Transport Minister has also called the strike timing "unacceptable" [1][3].
Passengers are advised to check their flight status before traveling due to ongoing disruptions and potential delays at all French airports [5]. Many travelers have canceled hotel nights, particularly in cities with large airports like Nice or Paris.
The strike has been criticized by various parties, including Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot, Laurent Abitbol (president of the Selectour travel agencies' board of directors), Prime Minister François Bayrou, and Ourania Georgoutsakou (general director of Airlines for Europe). It has been described as a "disaster" and a "very bad signal for foreigners," potentially giving a catastrophic image of France [6].
On Friday, July 4, 1,125 flights were canceled in France, compared to 933 on Thursday. The second and third largest unions in the profession, UNSA-ICNA and USAC-CGT, have joined the strike movement [1]. A reform is underway to establish a check-in system for controllers at the start of their shift, following the "serious incident" at Bordeaux airport at the end of 2022 [3].
Ryanair's CEO, Michael O'Leary, called for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to reform air traffic control or resign [2]. Tensions around the reform suggest a potential strike movement at the end of April [7].
[1] https://www.lefigaro.fr/actualites-france/2025/07/04/actualites-france/les-controleurs-de-vol-francais-ont-recommence-greve-dans-l-aube-des-vacances-20250704 [2] https://www.euronews.com/2025/07/04/ryanair-ceo-calls-for-eu-commission-president-to-resign-over-air-traffic-disruptions [3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61628350 [4] https://www.a4e.eu/news/european-air-traffic-control-strike-in-france-causes-almost-500-000-minutes-of-delays-across-europe [5] https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france/coronavirus [6] https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-and-defence/france-air-traffic-controllers-strike-disaster-foreigners-say-2025-07-04/ [7] https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decisions/article/2025/04/29/les-controleurs-de-vol-francais-preparent-une-grave-greve-a-la-fin-avril_6077198_3234.html
The strike by French air traffic controllers has disrupted not only domestic sports events but also international ones, as many athletes and teams rely on air travel for participation. The cancellation of flights has led to the postponement of several sports events in Europe.
As a result, the ongoing air traffic controllers' strike has not only affected the transportation sector but also the sports industry, causing significant inconveniences and losses.
