Airlines canceled several flights that would have flown over France and half of the flights that were scheduled to arrive in Paris on Friday due to the latest wave of disruptions to European air travel caused by an air traffic controllers’ strike.
“It is inexplicable that thousands of European citizens/visitors will have their travel plans unfairly disrupted by yet another French ATC (air traffic control) strike,” Ryanair said in a statement.
The airline noted that the cancellation of 420 flights, the majority of which were scheduled to fly over France, had an impact on the travel plans of 80,000 customers.
A sweltering first summer after widespread COVID-19 lockdowns has been dashed by strikes and staff shortages, which have prompted airlines to cancel thousands of flights. Disruption will continue into the fall. View More
On Wednesday, Air France said that it would only run 45% of its short- and medium-range flights and 90% of its long-haul flights as a result of the then-imminent strike.
“Everything is very quiet, as the passengers had been warned in advance and did not go to the airports,” a spokesperson of Groupe ADP (ADP.PA), operator of the Parisian airports, told Reuters.
Airlines had a tendency to reduce short and medium-duration services rather than long ones, the official continued.
aviation regulation DGAC requested that airlines cut back on Friday flying schedules by half.
