Brussels, 3 July 2025 – Airlines for Europe (A4E) strongly condemns the French air traffic control (ATC) strike taking place today and tomorrow. Tens of thousands of travellers in France and across Europe have seen their summer getaway grounded as French air-traffic controllers walk out during the Grand Départ; one of the busiest periods for summer travel.

As of 1600 CEST today, over 1500 flights have been cancelled on 3 and 4 of July affecting nearly 300,000 passengers. As well as being responsible for thousands of cancellations, today’s strike is responsible for nearly 500,000 minutes of delay or the same amount of minutes in 365 days or one full year.

Airlines have had little notice of the impact of these strikes, resulting in hundreds of last-minute cancellations.

Already in 2025, French ATC has proven to be one of the weakest links in Europe’s ATC system, posting some of Europe’s worst delay records. For example, ATC capacity-related delays in June 2025 jumped 115 percent versus June 2024.

European Transport Commissioner Tzitzikostas has repeatedly pressed member states to fix poor performing ATC and it is high time they stopped the excuses and took action. A4E has also set out what is needed to prevent such needless disruption to passengers in France and across Europe:

• Mandatory arbitration before ATC unions can threaten strike action
• A 21-day advance notification of strike action
• Provision of a 72-hour advance individual notification of participation in industrial action
• Protection of overflights, while ensuring this is not at the expense of departures and arrivals in the country where the strike originates
• A right of redress with Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) for the impact of disruption

“This strike is intolerable. French ATC already delivers some of Europe’s worst delay figures and now the actions of a minority of French ATC workers will needlessly disrupt the holiday plans of thousands of people in France and across Europe,” said Ourania Georgoutsakou, Managing Director of A4E.

“There is intense discussion about passenger rights in the EU right now, yet policymakers have done little to fix ATC to help them attain the most basic right: reaching your destination on time,” she continued.