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Date Published: 04/07/2025

Ryanair and easyJet flights disrupted at Spanish airports over French air traffic control strike

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Holidaymakers travelling through Murcia, Alicante and other Spanish airports face widespread delays and cancellations

Ryanair and easyJet flights disrupted at Spanish airports over French air traffic control strike

A wave of cancellations and delays has hit airports across Spain, including Murcia and Alicante, as French air traffic controllers staged a two-day strike, causing major disruption to flights throughout Europe.

Tens of thousands of passengers, including many heading to or returning from their summer holidays, have seen their travel plans thrown into disarray.

The strike, led by the UNSA-ICNA union, centres on concerns over staffing levels, working conditions and the introduction of a controversial clock-in system for controllers. Despite talks earlier this week, no resolution was reached, prompting the walkout, which began on Thursday July 3 and is set to continue through Friday 4.

It comes barely a week after easyJet cabin crew strikes over unfairly low salaries forced the cancellation of dozens of flights in Spain.

France’s civil aviation authority, DGAC, has instructed airlines to reduce their schedules, leading to the cancellation of around a quarter of flights at Paris airports and half at Nice. The disruption has extended far beyond French borders due to the country’s crucial role in European airspace.

Low-cost carriers Ryanair and easyJet have been among the hardest hit. Ryanair announced the cancellation of over 170 flights, affecting more than 30,000 passengers. easyJet, for its part, has cancelled 274 services over the two-day strike period.

Flights operating through or over French airspace, including those between the UK and Spain, have been particularly impacted.

In Murcia, all outbound flights scheduled for Thursday night were cancelled at short notice, including the Gatwick to Murcia flight and its return leg.

Passengers were notified with limited time to make alternative arrangements, and some reported long delays in receiving official updates from the airline. Travellers are being advised to monitor their flight status online closely for easyJet and for Ryanair, as further disruption is likely this Friday.

Related story: easyJet adds winter flights from UK to Murcia from October

Alicante airport has also seen significant delays, especially with a backlog of incoming easyJet flights from Gatwick arriving within a short time window, raising concerns about long waits at border control.

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary voiced strong criticism of the French strike, accusing controllers of “holding European families to ransom”. He called on the European Commission to implement reforms ensuring minimum service levels during strikes and protection for overflights unaffected by domestic disputes.

“This repeated disruption is unacceptable and unfair to EU passengers,” he said. “We need urgent EU action to prevent air traffic controllers from paralysing European skies every summer.”

Airlines for Europe (A4E), an industry body representing major carriers, echoed O’Leary’s concerns, calling the action “intolerable” and warning of ongoing travel chaos at the peak of the holiday season.

As the strike continues, passengers are being urged to check directly with their airline and allow extra time at airports due to the knock-on effects of delays and rescheduled services.

In other travel news, Ryanair has vowed to increase the size of the carry-on luggage allowed on its planes “in the coming weeks”.

Now read: Spain court agrees to suspend multi-million euro fine on Ryanair for unfair baggage practices

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