Ryanair says its “Protect Passengers: Keep EU Skies Open” petition against French strikes has 600,000 signatures.
The petition calls for the EU Commission to take action to protect freedom of movement and disruption-free overflights during French ATC strikes.
Ryanair will submit the petition when it reaches one million.
The budget airlines says the EU Commission has failed to protect passengers’ right to travel freely.
EU citizens understand that their travel plans are being disrupted unnecessarily by French ATC unions, Ryanair claims.
It says in the first four months of 2023, there were over 50 days of French ATC strikes.
This is ten times more than all of 2022.
It forced Ryanair to cancel over 3,700 flights impacting 666,000 passengers.
It says there is minimum service legislation in effect to protect French domestic flights, while EU overflights from Germany, Spain, Italy, the UK and Ireland are disproportionately cancelled.
Ryanair wants this changed.
“We are overwhelmed by the support. French ATC strikes are the No.1 risk to EU citizens’ travel plans this summer,” Ryanair said.
