Ryanair sets monthly passenger record despite air traffic control strikes

By Neil Lancefield, PA Transport Correspondent

Airline Ryanair said it carried a record high number of passengers last month despite French air traffic control (ATC) strikes.

The Dublin-based carrier announced 20.7 million passengers travelled on its flights in July.

That is up 3 per cent from 20.2 million during the same month last year.

Its load factor – which represents the average proportion of seats filled on its aircraft – was stable at 96 per cent.

Ryanair said it operated more than 113,000 flights in July and cancelled 680, mainly because of French controller strikes.

French ATC staff took industrial action on July 3rd and 4th in a dispute over working conditions.

As well as disrupting flights to and from French airports, the walkouts affected flights scheduled to travel over French airspace.

This meant many services to or from UK airports were delayed or cancelled.

EasyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis previously described the French strikes as “very, very disruptive” as they forced the airline to cancel 660 flights and cost it £15 million (€17.2 million).

Around 70 per cent of easyJet’s flights either fly to or from a French airport or over the country’s airspace.

European air traffic management body Eurocontrol estimated the strikes affected more than one million passengers.

Meanwhile, a radar fault suffered by UK ATC provider Nats led to more than 100 UK flights being cancelled on July 30th.