The six-day strike by French air traffic controllers has caused widespread anger and prompted calls for industrial action on this scale to be banned.
The strike is set to affect thousands of travellers, as more than 60 per cent of the 4,000 members of the SNCTA and UNSA-INCA unions voted in favour of industrial action last week.
The strike is set to last from today until Sunday with an estimated 50 per cent of flights likely to be grounded.
Irish airline Ryanair, which has been forced to cancel 26 flights today (June 24), has said air traffic controllers right to strike should be removed to “stop Europe being held to ransom” every summer.
“Ordinary people who work hard all year to take a well-earned holiday have had their travel plans disrupted through no fault of theirs, because of the selfish actions of so few,” said Ryanair’s chief marketing officer, Kenny Jacobs.
“It is high time the EU Commission removed these air traffic controllers’ right to strike, in the same way as ATC in the US, and many of Europe’s armies and police forces, are prohibited from striking by law.”
IATA’s CEO Tony Tyler said the organisation “strongly condemns” the strikes calling the timing “malicious”.
“Business people undertaking important trips, and those awaiting urgent shipments will all face hassles and uncertain waits as flights are cancelled, delayed or diverted around a major portion of European airspace,” said Tyler.
The strikes coincide with the first major travel weekend of the busy European summer holiday season.
They are in protest of critical reforms being planned to bring the management of Europe’s airspace into the modern era with efficiencies that would be delivered by the Single European Skies (SES).
Tyler said: “There are more borders in the skies over Europe than exist on land. And that comes at a great cost.
“In 2012, over 130 million hours of potentially productive time were wasted because of delays that could have been prevented with SES.
“It is indefensible that France’s air traffic controllers are now going on strike in order to perpetuate travel delays in Europe,” said Tyler.
British Airways confirmed it has been forced to cancel a “small number of flights” today (June 24) and are expecting knock-on delays to some other short-haul services.
Air France said it expects to operate all long-haul and 90 per cent of short and medium-haul flights. And Easyjet has cancelled 20 per cent of its services.