Overview

• DGAC ordered airlines to cut flights by 25% on Thursday and 40% on Friday at Paris hubs and to cancel half of departures in Nice
• About 272 of 1,000 controllers joined Friday’s action, bringing total cancellations to nearly 1,900 and triggering average delays of 18 minutes across Europe
• Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot condemned the walkout as inexcusable, saying it disrupted summer travel for over 500,000 passengers
• Ryanair canceled 170 flights in response, with CEO Michael O’Leary accusing controllers of holding families “hostage” and urging EU-level safeguards
• Negotiations between controller unions and the DGAC over staffing levels and new tower presence rules remain deadlocked