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First Post
04-07-2025
- First Post
French air traffic control strike grounds 1,500 flights, disrupts summer holidays for 300,000 travellers
Major airlines, including Ryanair and easyJet, were among the worst hit, with Ryanair cancelling 170 flights and easyJet 274, as the walkout coincided with France's 'Grand Départ' read more France's air traffic control officials have hit the streets to protest for better pay and more hiring, forcing major airlines to ground several flights amid the peak summer holiday season. The two-day-long strikes, which began yesterday, have impacted over 1,500 flights and disrupted summer vacation plans for nearly 300,000 travellers. Major airlines, including Ryanair and easyJet, were among the worst hit, with Ryanair cancelling 170 flights and easyJet 274, as the walkout coincided with France's 'Grand Départ'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ryanair, at the same time, has called for politicians to act as their businesses get hampered while air traffic controllers fight against overwork and burnout. Frédéric Deleau, vice president for Europe of the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations, said that the protests in France 'will eventually have a negative impact on the network, that's for sure.' What are their demands? The strike, led by the UNSA-ICNA and USAC-CGT unions, centres on demands for better pay, increased staffing, and urgent upgrades to ageing equipment. France's civil aviation authority ordered airlines to cut flights by up to 50 per cent at some airports, with widespread delays and cancellations rippling across the continent. Airline groups and executives condemned the action, urging the EU to protect overflights and warning of more chaos unless Europe's air traffic system is reformed. However, the issue cannot be resolved quickly, as training new air traffic controllers takes a minimum of three years. Complicating matters further, certification to manage air traffic is restricted to specific sectors of Europe's highly fragmented airspace, which is overseen by 40 different air navigation service providers (ANSPs). Gloomy European skies Observers and experts have called this the 'worst summer till now' as flight delays and cancellations play a spoilsport in the civil aviation industry. Paul Reuter, vice president of the pilot union European Cockpit Association, said, according to Politico, 'Every summer since Covid has been the worst summer until now.' He added, 'We have a finite airspace, a finite number of runways, the airports have capacity constraints … any disruption, because have very little buffers, it's going to mess up the whole system. And that is probably what we're going to see this summer as well.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The European Commissioner for Transport, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, has said that 2024 was the worst year for European aviation in terms of flight delays and warned that the 'situation this year is likely to deteriorate further.'
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Time of India
A dreamy European vacation right now might actually be a tourist's worst nightmare
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills Flight cancellations Searing heatwaves Overtourism adds pressure What was meant to be a dream European summer vacation is turning into a nightmare for thousands of travellers, as the continent faces a double blow of widespread flight disruptions and extreme traffic strikes, particularly in France, have led to hundreds of flight cancellations and delays at the peak of the travel season. At the same time, a punishing early summer heatwave is sweeping across parts of southern and central Europe, straining infrastructure and affecting tourist across major destinations like France, Italy, and Spain are reporting hours-long delays at airports and unbearable conditions as temperatures soar well above seasonal norms. For many, the long-awaited summer getaway is quickly becoming a test of patience and endurance.'Every summer since Covid has been the worst summer until now,' said Paul Reuter, vice president of the pilot union European Cockpit Association, as per a POLITICO disruptions across Europe surged on July 1, 2025, with over 200 delays and more than 60 cancellations reported amid mounting operational challenges. Airlines are grappling with staff shortages, technical glitches, and weather-related issues, severely impacting travel across the region. The most impacted carriers include Air France, Finnair, American Airlines, Emirates, KLM, Air Canada, and China than a week ago, 320 flights were cancelled or diverted in northeastern Italy on June 28, due to a system's failure at Milan's Linate Airport, according to disruptions continue, with Finnair cancelling 100 flights servicing European routes on July to the American tech company FlightAware, Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport reported 11 cancellations in the last 24 hours, as of 1:35 am EDT. It also shows a decline in flight disruptions at Munich International Airport, Stockholm-Arlanda Airport and Dublin International Airport, which have dropped to nine, eight, and seven cancellations, is currently in the grip of a severe early summer heat wave, intensified by a marine heat wave in the Mediterranean Sea and a persistent heat dome. Sea surface temperatures in parts of the Mediterranean are up to 9°C above normal, particularly in the western basin near southern France. This extreme ocean warming is fueling high humidity and elevated night-time temperatures across the heat wave is being further reinforced by hot air flowing north from Africa, creating a feedback loop that is sustaining both the marine and land heat extremes. Experts note that such patterns—marine heat waves driving extreme land weather—are becoming increasingly frequent as the planet countries are experiencing record-breaking temperatures. In Spain, the town of El Granado recorded 46°C on Sunday, the highest June temperature in the country's history. Spain's meteorological agency AEMET said last month was the hottest June ever recorded. In Portugal, a provisional high of 46.6°C was reported in Mora, potentially a new national record for is also under widespread heat stress, with temperatures exceeding 100°F in multiple regions. Météo France issued red-level heat alerts—the highest warning—for 16 areas, including Île-de-France where Paris is located. The Eiffel Tower's summit has been closed for two days, and authorities have urged residents and tourists to take UK is not spared either, experiencing its second heat wave of the season with temperatures crossing 90°F on Monday. With fewer than 5% of British homes equipped with air conditioning, the conditions have become especially combination of land and marine heat waves is not only straining infrastructure and public health systems but also highlighting the growing intensity and frequency of extreme climate events across rise in visitor numbers has led to overtourism concerns across Europe. Cities like Venice, Barcelona and Amsterdam have introduced tourist taxes and tighter regulations. Venice now charges an entry fee for day‑trippers, and Barcelona has restricted short‑term rentals in certain Spain, rising tourist numbers have sparked protests in popular cities and islands. Residents in Barcelona, Mallorca and the Canary Islands have held rallies and put up signs complaining about overtourism, rising rents and pressure on local infrastructure. They have called for stricter rules, tourist caps and higher taxes to balance the benefits of tourism with the needs of local the rupee at its weakest point and popular destinations imposing new restrictions, trips to Europe are expected to remain challenging and costly for Indian travelers throughout the year.
