By Euronews Journey
Revealed on
The boss of easyJet has stated that latest French air visitors management strikes created “unacceptable challenges for purchasers and crew”.
Kenton Jarvis, chief government of the price range airline, added that they had been “extraordinarily sad” with the strike motion in early July, which landed airways with “sudden and important prices”.
Greater than 1 million passengers had been impacted by the walkout from French air visitors controllers on 3 and 4 July over working situations, in keeping with European aviation coordinator Eurocontrol.
EasyJet cancelled 660 flights because of the motion, costing a complete of £15 million (€17.3 million). French air visitors management has been the main reason behind delays for the provider for the reason that begin of the summer time.
Jarvis demanded that the French authorities “steps in and actually works with their ANSP (air navigation service supplier) as a result of it has been the worst performing air visitors management space in Europe, they usually get forward of it and do some long-term measures.”
Why are French air visitors controllers placing?
Two unions, UNSA‑ICNA and USAC‑CGT, took half in strikes on 3 and 4 July. These are the second and third largest air visitors management unions in France. The most important, SNCTA, didn’t participate within the walkout.
The motion was pushed by numerous office grievances, that are a part of an ongoing dispute with the French Directorate Common for civil aviation, comparable to persistent understaffing and ageing, and unreliable gear, which unions say is on its final legs.
Two unions additionally complained about what they referred to as “poisonous” administration tradition with extreme inner surveillance, together with the introduction of a brand new biometric time clock that displays their work attendance.
Ryanair requires EU motion on ‘leisure’ strikes
The easyJet chief’s feedback add to stress from price range provider Ryanair, which has labelled the strikes from air visitors controllers as “leisure”.
The airline accused air visitors management workers in France of wanting “time without work” through the strike motion on 3 and 4 July.
Jade Kirwan, Ryanair’s communications director, informed The Telegraph that some workers had continued to strike or had referred to as in sick over the weekend, leading to two extra days of cancellations.
Ryanair is worried that comparable motion and illness claims may proceed through the summer time holidays, inflicting extra journey chaos for passengers.
“What’s stopping French air visitors controllers from closing the EU skies once more subsequent week or the week after with extra of those unjustified leisure strikes?” CEO Michael O’Leary stated earlier this month.
He claimed that 90 per cent of the flights cancelled over the two-day strike may have been averted if the European Fee had intervened.
The price range provider has referred to as on the European Union to reform the bloc’s air visitors management system to stop chaos with flights over a rustic when controllers stroll out.
The EU’s largest airline affiliation, Airways for Europe (A4E), has additionally hit out over disruption attributable to the strikes. It stated in early July that already, French air visitors management had confirmed to be “one of many weakest hyperlinks” in Europe’s system.
Ourania Georgoutsakou, Managing Director of A4E, stated that French air visitors management already delivers a number of the worst delay figures and referred to as on policymakers to take motion.
How did air visitors management walkouts affect flights?
Over the two-day walkout, a complete of just about 3,000 flights had been cancelled and greater than 7,400 delayed, in keeping with Eurocontrol figures. It affected greater than 1 million passengers, with round 200,000 unable to fly as that they had supposed as a consequence of cancellations.
The strikes pushed the proportion of flights arriving and departing on time down from the June common of 75 per cent to 64 per cent over the 2 days.
One in 5 European flights is often routed over France, even when they don’t land there. Flights to and from the neighbouring international locations of Spain, the UK and Italy had been notably badly impacted.
The proportion of flights passing over France is far greater, with extra like half of its flights being routed over the nation. This makes the provider far more susceptible to industrial motion by French air visitors controllers.
Eurocontrol estimates the full price to the aviation trade of the strikes at €120 million in misplaced income and spending on look after passengers impacted by the disruption. Round €47 million got here from the price of delays and €72 million from cancellations.
A European Union official informed the Monetary Occasions that this summer time could possibly be the worst ever for delays and cancellations as a consequence of air visitors management workers shortages, strikes, fires and excessive demand for journey.