Michael O’Leary has told the President of the European Commission to resign if she cannot stop the cancellation of Irish overflights through French airspace.
After French air traffic controllers went ahead with industrial action, Ryanair announced some 400 flights from Ireland to continental Europe this week would be cancelled.
As well as flights from Ireland to France, overflights that use French airspace to reach other European destinations have also been grounded.
Ryanair
On Newstalk Breakfast, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary complained that the French “just invent more reasons to go on strike”.
“This is another recreational strike by the French; you know the reason for these two day strikes?” he asked.
“They believe they’re short staffed, so their solution to being short staffed is to go out on strike, leaving even less staff.
“Only the French could come up with this kind of nonsense.”
A Ryanair jet at Dublin Airport. Picture by: Niall Carson/PA Archive/PA ImagesMr O’Leary added that Irish and European politicians will “sit on their hands and fail to take any action”.
He said while a number of European countries protect overflights from industrial action, France is not one of them.
“They protect the local flights, and they cancel the overflights,” he explained.
“If we protected overflights, 360 of these 400 flight cancellations, 60,000 passengers yesterday and today would not have had their flights cancelled by Ryanair.
“We’ve been submitting passenger petitions for years to the European Commission President and what did she do? Nothing.”
Flight cancellations
Mr O’Leary insisted that the European Commission needs to recognise that the issue is a European problem, requiring a European solution.
“The EU has minimum service legislation to protect flights in upper airspace,” he said.
“The procedure already exists and has been adopted by the Spanish, Italians and the Greeks.
“All we need is the European Commission to say, ‘This is going to be part of European law, it’s a single market and we’re going to protect the single market for aviation.
“We fully respect the right of French air traffic controllers to go on strike, but we’re going to protect the overflights.”
A Ryanair jet in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Picture by: Greg Bajor / Alamy Stock Photo.Mr O’Leary said Ryanair has taken a “substantial” financial hit and issued an ultimatum to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“Why do you not protect overflights?” he asked.
“You’re the President of the European Commission; do something about this or quit.”
The European Commission has been contacted for comment.
Main image: Michael O'Leary and Ursula von der Leyen. Pictures by: Rolling News and Thierry Monasse/dpa.
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