French strike to affect Irish flights

A number of flights scheduled to travel to and from Ireland tomorrow have been cancelled as a result of strike and protest action…

A number of flights scheduled to travel to and from Ireland tomorrow have been cancelled as a result of strike and protest action by workers in France.

Ryanair said it had been forced to cancel 250 flights in all - 12 in and out of Irish airports - because of the strike by air traffic control staff over the French government’s plans to raise the retirement age. French airspace closures will also affect the passage of some flights to Spain.

Port and rail services are also expected to be hampered by the action.

Ryanair has cancelled a total of eight flights between Dublin and Nice, Paris Beauvais, Madrid and Rodez.

A further two flights between Shannon airport and Paris Beauvais have been cancelled as have two others between Knock airport and Reus in Spain.

Aer Lingus said it had cancelled two flights between Dublin and Paris Charles De Gaulle because of the strike. It said it was planning to operate other services as normal.

Passengers affected will be notified by text message and email and can either take a refund or arrange an alternative journey, a spokeswoman for Aer Lingus said.

It is the fourth time in a month workers have taken to the streets over the controversial reforms and this time they threatened open-ended strikes.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary described the action as unnecessary and again called on the European Commission to end the "chaos" caused by air traffic controller strikes this year.

He said it was time the right to strike was removed from air traffic controllers "as it is for other essential services like the police and fire services".

The airline said it has this year been forced to cancel 1,650 flights and delay over 12,000 others, disrupting over 2.5 million passengers, because of Belgian, French and Spanish air traffic control strikes and work to rules.

"If these people don't want to work then replace them with military and other controllers who do wish to work," Mr O'Leary said.

Steven Carroll

Steven Carroll

Steven Carroll is an Assistant News Editor with The Irish Times