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French ATC Strike to Halt Up to 600 Ryanair Flights a Day, Disrupting Overflights Across Europe

The SNCTA walkout from 7–10 October is expected to choke French airspace capacity as airlines warn that national control of airspace limits any EU move to shield transit flights.

Overview

  • France’s main controllers’ union SNCTA has confirmed a national strike from 7 to 10 October over pay, conditions and management grievances.
  • Ryanair says it expects to cancel about 600 services on the first two days, affecting roughly 100,000 passengers and costing around £20m.
  • The disruption will hit not only France-bound routes but also overflights to destinations such as Spain, Italy and Greece, with final cancellation lists typically set shortly before action begins.
  • EasyJet and British Airways say they are monitoring the situation, while the UK Department for Transport notes each state manages its own airspace and airports have resilience plans.
  • Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary is urging Eurocontrol and the European Commission to protect overflights during strikes, citing prior French ATC action that Eurocontrol estimated cost the industry about £104m.