By P贸l 脫 Conghaile
鈥淚n addition to flights to/from France being cancelled, this strike will also affect all French overflights,鈥 it said.
鈥淢ost disrupted passengers are not even flying to/from France,” it added, but over French airspace to destinations like the UK, Greece and Spain.
The cancellations include a handful of flights to and from Ireland by Ryanair, Aer Lingus and Air France on both dates.
On Friday, Dublin Airport said 14 flights had been cancelled, including services to/from Nice, Paris and Helsinki. It follows the cancellation of 20 flights on Thursday.
“Further disruption to flight schedules is possible today (Friday) due to another day of air traffic control strikes in France and a ground staff strike in Finland,鈥 the airport said.
鈥淧assengers due to fly to or over mainland Europe today are advised to check directly with their airline for latest updates on the status of their flight.”
Aer Lingus said there would be 鈥渓imited flight cancellations to/from Paris and Nice鈥 on the affected dates, and that impacted customers had been contacted and re-accommodated on alternative flights or offered other options.
Passengers whose flights have been cancelled should be contacted directly by the airline 鈥 though if bookings were made through third parties like travel agents or other airlines, those may receive updates on their behalf.
Under EU Regulation 261/2014, affected passengers should be offered the choice between a re-routing or a full refund (read more about your rights if flights are cancelled or delayed).
French ATC union, UNSA-ICNA, said the two-day strike was due to persistent understaffing, outdated equipment and a toxic management culture.
The industrial action comes as the busy summer holiday period ramps up, though Ryanair has long campaigned for an overhaul of ATC services across Europe, lobbying in particular for ATC services to be fully staffed for the first wave of morning flight departures, and for overflights to be protected during national ATC strikes.
It says French ATC issues have caused the delay of over 26,000 of its flights in the first six months of 2025, and called on EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, to take urgent action to reform EU ATC services.
鈥淥nce again European families are held to ransom by French air traffic controllers going on strike,鈥 said its CEO, Michael O鈥橪eary. “It makes no sense and is abundantly unfair on EU passengers and families going on holidays.鈥
Ryanair maintains a website and 鈥榣eague table鈥 highlighting what it says are the worst-performing ATCs in the EU.
鈥淔rance, Spain, Germany, Portugal, and the UK continue to delay thousands of Ryanair flights and millions of Ryanair passengers, putting them in stark contrast to other EU States, like Slovakia, Denmark, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands, who are delivering many many more on-time flights,鈥 Mr O鈥橪eary said this week.
鈥淚f these five states can properly staff and manage their ATC service, then why can鈥檛 France, Spain, Germany, Portugal and the UK do likewise?鈥
Ryanair carried 19.9 million passengers in June, up 3pc on the same month last year.
This article has been updated to reflect developments.