British passengers are facing significant disruption as French air traffic controllers begin a six-day strike over budget cuts. The industrial action has led to flight cancellations and delays at major airports, affecting services operated by British Airways, Ryanair, Easyjet, and Flybe.
Eurocontrol, the air traffic management firm, reported that the strike would cause 14,000 hours of delays. Ryanair cancelled up to 220 flights on Tuesday, including services to and from London Stansted, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Dublin, and Bristol. The airline warned that delays could be “materially worse” on Wednesday, with 15% of its flights cancelled, mainly affecting travel to and from France and Spain.
Easyjet described the strike as unnecessary, warning of “considerable disruption and cancellations for passengers and airlines” across Europe. The airline cancelled 28 flights to or from French airports on Tuesday, though none affected UK flights. Monarch said disruption was “higher than anticipated” and expected significant delays throughout the week. Flybe cancelled several flights after French authorities requested a reduced flying programme.
Passengers have been urged to check their flight status with airlines. Gatwick Airport reported some delays and a small number of cancellations, while Heathrow warned of potential disruption in the coming days. A similar strike last year led to the cancellation of about 1,800 flights daily across Europe.
