REG - Ryanair Holdings PLC Ryanair Holdings-RYA - RYANAIR CONDEMNS ILLEGAL STRIKE BY BELGIAN ATC

Ryanair HoldingsAnnouncement

02/06/2026 14:15

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RNS Number : 6960G  Ryanair Holdings PLC  02 June 2026

RYANAIR CONDEMNS ILLEGAL WILDCAT STRIKE BY

BELGIAN ATC CONTROLLERS ON TUES, 2 JUNE

OVER 100 CHARLEROI FLIGHTS CANCELLED AT SHORT NOTICE DISRUPTING 20,000
PASSENGERS

 

Ryanair, Europe's No.1 airline, condemned today's (2 June) illegal wildcat
strike by Belgian ATC controllers, which unfairly forced the short notice
cancellation of 100 Ryanair flights to/from Charleroi and Zaventem Airports,
disrupting almost 20,000 passengers.

It is unacceptable that passengers travelling to/from Belgium today (2 June)
are suffering flight cancellations and delays as a result of a tiny number of
Belgian air traffic controllers' decision to strike with zero notice given to
airlines who pay millions of euros annually for ATC services, which have been
withdrawn today without any prior notice. If Belgian ATC controllers must go
on strike, they should provide fair and sufficient notice - at least 24 hours
- so that airlines can reorganise flights and protect passengers - many of
whom are travelling on holidays with young families - from unnecessary
cancellations.

The Draghi Report called on Europe to deliver competitiveness, but nothing
highlights the failure of Europe competitiveness under "Useless Ursula" von
der Leyen more than these latest ATC strikes. The EU Commission has a duty to
protect the single market for air travel yet zero progress has been made.
Every year ATC controllers hold European citizens to ransom, and "Useless
Ursula" von der Leyen does nothing about it - except make speeches.

Ryanair's Michael O'Leary said:

"While we respect the right to strike, it is unacceptable that airlines were
given zero notice of today's Belgian ATC strike. As a result, airlines were
forced to cancel flights at short notice, unfairly impacting thousands of
passengers travelling to/from Belgium - many of whom are now stranded at
Charleroi and Zaventem Airports. There is no need for passengers to suffer
short notice cancellations due to Belgian ATC strikes. If controllers must
strike, they should provide fair notice to airlines, so we can reorganise
schedules to minimise the impact of these ATC strikes on ordinary citizens who
pay for these high priced but low service ATC.

It is unacceptable that European citizens are once again being held to ransom
by a tiny number of ATC controllers engaging in recreational strikes without
fair notice. Ryanair has repeatedly called on the EU Commission to reform
Europe's broken ATC system to protect passengers from these ATC strikes, but
"Useless Ursula" von der Leyen continues to sit on her hands doing nothing
while a tiny number of European Air Traffic Controllers once again hold
European citizens to ransom with today's zero notice strikes."

ENDS

For further info

please contact:               Ryanair Press Office

T: +353-1-9451799

E: press@ryanair.com (mailto:press@ryanair.com)

 

 

 

 

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