Ryanair CEO urges EU chief to resolve air traffic chaos or resign

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has called on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to step down if she cannot put an end to the widespread travel disruption caused by repeated French air traffic control strikes.

In an interview with foreign media, O’Leary accused the Commission of failing to address the repeated closure of French airspace, which has led to thousands of flight cancellations and delays during the crucial summer travel season, Caliber.Az reports.

“We continue to call on Ursula von der Leyen – why are you not protecting these overflights, why is the single market for air travel being disrupted by a tiny number of French air traffic controllers? All we get is a shrug of their shoulders and ‘there’s nothing we can do’. We point out, there is,” O’Leary told presenter Darren McCaffrey.

The latest industrial action began on July 3 and is expected to end later on Friday. However, the disruption has already been severe. According to Airlines for Europe, the two-day walkout has resulted in at least 1,500 cancelled flights, affecting some 300,000 passengers. Ryanair alone has axed over 400 services, while rival easyJet reported the cancellation of 274 flights.

The strikes have forced thousands of aircraft to either be grounded or rerouted, with delays expected to continue through the weekend. Many planes and their crews remain out of position.

O’Leary said French domestic flights were routinely prioritised during industrial action, while overflights — aircraft merely passing through French airspace — bore the brunt of cancellations. He argued that countries such as Italy and Greece had addressed the issue through “minimum service” laws, which he believes the EU should implement bloc-wide.

He said: “We are calling on Ursula von der Leyen, who preaches about competitiveness and reforming Europe, if you’re not willing to protect or fix overflights then quit and let somebody more effective do the job.”

The French civil aviation authority (DGAC) had pre-emptively ordered airlines to cancel 40% of flights from Paris’s three main airports on Friday, citing concerns over staffing levels and the quality of technical equipment — issues O’Leary dismissed as “nonsense”.

While reaffirming that controllers had the right to strike, he argued “they did not have the right to close the sky”.

DGAC has warned of further disruption through the weekend, with knock-on effects expected as aircraft and crew rotations continue to be impacted.

French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot also criticised the walkout, telling CNews: “The idea is to disturb as many people as possible.”

Airlines are advising passengers that, under EU rules, they are entitled to a full refund or rebooking on an alternative service if their flight is cancelled. This also applies to return flights if the outbound leg is scrapped.

The disruption coincides with the start of the European summer holiday season, intensifying pressure on the Commission to find a long-term solution to the recurring strikes.

By Aghakazim Guliyev