Major airlines have rallied to submit complaints to the European Commission against France, claiming its air traffic controllers’ strikes restrict the fundamental principle of freedom of movement within the EU.
British Airways-parent International Airlines Group (IAG) and low-cost airlines Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air say passengers are being denied their freedom to travel between member states not affected by industrial action on flights which travel over France.
They stress they do not oppose the right to strike.
So far this year, the number of French air traffic control strikes has increased by 300% when compared with 2017. Last month, the French Senate said France is responsible for 33% of flight delays in Europe and that the right to strike has to be balanced against the obligation to provide public service.
Willie Walsh, IAG’s chief executive, said: “It’s not only customers flying in and out of France who are affected during French ATC strikes. Passengers on routes that overfly France, especially the large airspace that covers Marseille and the Mediterranean, are also subject to delays and massive disruptions. This affects all airlines but has a significant negative impact on Spain’s tourism and economy.”
The airlines claim that there is a legal precedent from 1997, when the Spanish complained to the European Commission about French farmers preventing their fruit and vegetable exports into the EU.
Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s chief executive, said: “Europe’s air traffic control providers are reaching the point of meltdown with hundreds of flights being cancelled and delayed daily either because of strikes or because Europe’s air traffic controllers don’t have enough staff.
“When Greece and Italy have air traffic control strikes, overflights continue as normal. Why won’t France do the same? These disruptions are unacceptable, and we call on Europe’s governments and the EU Commission to take urgent and decisive action to ensure that air traffic control providers are fully staffed and that overflights are not affected when national strikes take place, as they repeatedly do in France.”
Johan Lundgren, easyJet’s chief executive, added: “We fully respect the right to strike and have been in constructive dialogue with the EU and the French government to address the issue of air traffic control strikes. Unfortunately, our passengers have felt little progress so far, which is why we felt it is necessary to take this next step – particularly given the sustained industrial action this year which has totalled 29 days to date.”
József Váradi, Wizz Air’s chief executive, said: “The failure of French air traffic control authorities to ensure a continued and adequate service has already caused massive disruption to the travel plans of thousands of passengers across Europe, with airlines left to pick up the pieces. Addressing this issue must be a priority for the European authorities to ensure European citizens and businesses are no longer held hostage to national industrial relations issues.”
According to Eurocontrol, more than 16,000 flights had been delayed by June this year due to air traffic control strikes, affecting more than two million passengers. Last summer, the European Commission said that since 2005 there had been 357 air traffic control strikes in Europe – the equivalent of around one month per year.