Dozens of flights have been cancelled in Spain as the strike by French air traffic controllers enters its second day.
At least 85 flights to the Balearic Islands were cancelled on Friday morning, with the industrial action set to cause knock-on delays across the region’s airports.
According to figures from Spain’s airport operator Aena, Palma de Mallorca bore the brunt, with 69 flights grounded. Ibiza saw 10 cancellations, while six services were dropped in Menorca.
The disruption coincides with the start of a busy summer weekend in which 4,895 flights are scheduled across the Balearics.
The 48-hour strike, called by French union Unsa-ICNA, has triggered major delays across France’s airspace. The country’s civil aviation authority (DGAC) ordered 40% of flights cut at Paris Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Beauvais airports, with Nice slashing operations by 50%.
Other hubs including Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Figari also saw capacity reduced by 30%.
Despite advance cancellations, authorities warned that significant delays were still expected at all French airports.
Airlines for Europe (A4E), the region’s largest carrier association, said more than 1,500 flights had been axed over the two-day period, affecting close to 300,000 passengers.
Ryanair, which cancelled 400 flights affecting more than 70,000 passengers, condemned the timing of the action.
The airline said the strike once again coincided with the start of the European summer holiday rush.
The carrier also renewed criticism of French authorities for failing to protect overflights – services that pass through French airspace without landing – during national strikes.
By 5pm on Thursday, the strike had already caused 71 flight cancellations between Spain and France, according to Aena.
Around 270 air traffic controllers joined the strike on July 3, as confirmed by the AFP news agency.
The strike followed two failed negotiations between the DGAC and Unsa-ICNA, the most recent on Monday.
The union accuses the agency of ‘toxic’ and ‘authoritarian’ management and failing to modernise key systems despite repeated promises.
Unsa-ICNA also cited deep structural staffing shortages as a key driver of delays in French airspace.
The strike is backed by the third-largest union, Usac-CGT, which described the working climate within the DGAC as ‘severely deteriorated.’ However, SNCTA, France’s largest air traffic controller union, has opted not to participate.
