A two-day strike by French air traffic controllers disrupted more than a thousand flights, and airlines are hopping mad over the millions of euros they've lost, reports Politico.
“I'd be better if I wasn't canceling 400 flights and 70,000 passengers just because a bunch of French air traffic controllers want to have recreational strikes,” Ryanair's chief executive officer Michael O'Leary told POLITICO.
The walkout “is extremely expensive for us. It costs us millions of euros,” said Benjamin Smith, the CEO of Air France-KLM Group, during a press call.
The strike, which took place on Thursday and Friday, was over disputes between two unions and the French directorate general for civil aviation regarding understaffing and the introduction of a new biometric time clock system to monitor air traffic controllers' work attendance.
Airlines are increasingly angry over the frequent French strikes that regularly upend their schedules.