Several flights from Ireland are affected by the latest bout of ATC industrial action
“In addition to flights to/from France being cancelled, this strike will also affect all French overflights,” it said.
“Most 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, several services from Dublin Airport to Nice (FR1958) and Paris (AF1817, EI524, EI528, FR1860, TO7909) are listed as cancelled on the departures board.
On Thursday, cancelled services included Nice (FR3954, EI544), Biarritz (FR1982), Paris (AF1617, EI526, FR1860, TO7909) and Murcia (FR5405).
Aer Lingus said there would be “limited flight cancellations to/from Paris and Nice on Thursday, July 3 and Friday, July 4”, 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 – 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French ATC union, UNSA-ICNA, said the two-day strike was due to persistent understaffing, outdated equipment and a toxic management culture.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.
“Once again European families are held to ransom by French air traffic controllers going on strike,” said its CEO, Michael O’Leary. “It makes no sense and is abundantly unfair on EU passengers and families going on holidays.”
Ryanair maintains a website and ‘league table’ highlighting what it says are the worst-performing ATCs in the EU.
“France, 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,” Mr O’Leary said this week.
“If these five states can properly staff and manage their ATC service, then why can’t France, Spain, Germany, Portugal and the UK do likewise?”
Ryanair carried 19.9 million passengers in June, up 3pc on the same month last year.
This article has been updated to reflect developments.
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