Ryanair cancellations: French strikes bring misery to 20,000 passengers

'More disruption and travel misery is inflicted upon Europe’s consumers and airlines,' says Ryanair

Grounded: Ryanair Boeing 777 at Palma airport, Mallorca, where several flights are cancelled (Simon Calder)

More than 20,000 Ryanair passengers have had their flights on Tuesday cancelled due to a strike by French air-traffic controllers. Many other travellers are being affected by the action by members of the USAC-CGT union.

They are stopping work as part of a nationwide walk-out which constitutes the first major challenge to President Macron's sweeping labour reforms. The union says the proposed law “promises to be dangerous for employees and their representatives”.

Eurocontrol is warning of "very high delays" in the Marseille sector, covering a swathe of southern France.

Ryanair has cancelled at least 110 flights. Passengers hoping to fly from Ryanair’s main UK base, Stansted, to Barcelona, Bergerac, Blagnac, Bordeaux, Limoges, Madrid, Marseille, Palma and Perpignan, or on the return legs, are now trying to find seats on alternative services.

Other casualties of the strike are Luton-Nimes, Manchester-Ibiza, Leeds/Bradford-Palma and East Midlands-Barcelona.

Ryanair warns “further flight delays and cancellations are likely”. Its marketing director, Kenny Jacobs, said: “Enough is enough. If the French Government is serious about changing France, they should start by tackling these air traffic control unions, and together with the European Commission, should take immediate action to prevent thousands of European consumers from having their travel plans disrupted by a tiny group of ATC unions going on strike once again.

“They cannot stand idly by as more disruption and travel misery is inflicted upon Europe’s consumers and airlines."

British Airways has cancelled 16 flights as a result of air-traffic control restrictions over France: four services linking London with Barcelona and with Nice have been grounded, along with round-trips from Heathrow to Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse and Zurich.

The airline says: “Other short-haul flights may also experience some disruption, given how many flights from numerous European airlines would normally use French airspace each day.”

BA is offering passengers flying on any French route, as well as Barcelona, the option of shifting the flight to Wednesday or Thursday. It says: “We will be using larger aircraft, where possible, to help affected customers and are doing all we can to reduce the levels of disruption.”

Its rival, easyJet, says: “Like all airlines, our flights to and from French airports, as well as those flying in French airspace, could be affected.

“We are doing everything possible to minimise the impact of the strike on our customers, and we advise that you allow plenty of extra time to get to the airport and consider alternative transport options where possible, as public transport services may be affected by the strike.”

Air France is warning passengers of "limited disruptions" on domestic flights, and that "last-minute delays and cancellations can be expected too".

Passengers whose flights are cancelled should be re-booked for travel as soon as possible, even if it is on a rival airline. They are also entitled to a duty of care, with the cancelling airline responsible for meals and accommodation until they can reach their destination.

The Foreign Office is warning of “disruption and delays to transport services, including rail networks and some maritime ports”.

In Germany, dozens of Air Berlin flights have been cancelled because of "sickness-related absences" by flight crew. The airline has filed for insolvency but is being propped up by a German government loan. Air Berlin says it is "currently seeing an exceptional high number of sickness reports of their pilots".

"For this reason a number of flights will have to be cancelled today."