SENATE REPORT EXPOSES DECADES OF FAILURE AS IT CONFIRMS DSNA IS WOEFULLY MISMANAGED AND UNABLE TO COPE WITH TRAFFIC GROWTH

FRENCH ATC DELAYS SET TO COST AIRLINES €1.7BN P.A. BY 2035 UNLESS URGENT ACTION IS TAKEN

Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, today (2 Jul) called on the French Govt to urgently reform French ATC, following the publication of a damning report by Senator Vincent Capo-Canellas which confirms that France’s air traffic control provider, DSNA, is understaffed, underproductive, reliant on obsolete technology, and incapable of coping with future traffic growth unless urgent reform is delivered now.

The report warns that, if no new measures are introduced, Eurocontrol estimates that by 2030 French ATC will no longer be able to handle demand for flights, meaning that “a portion of flights will inevitably and structurally have to be cancelled.” This is an incredible admission of failure from Europe’s largest overflight country and is unacceptable for passengers, airlines and Europe’s single aviation market. France does not have a traffic growth problem, France has an ATC management problem.

The ongoing capacity crisis once again exposes the failure to protect overflights during French ATC strikes. While minimum service rules shield many domestic French flights, passengers travelling between other EU countries continue to suffer unnecessary delays and cancellations when flights overflying France are disrupted. The French Govt and European Commission must urgently protect overflights during French ATC strikes, as happens elsewhere in Europe, while fully respecting the right of French ATC unions to strike. France already protects many domestic flights during ATC strikes. It must now protect overflights as well.

The report highlights the scale of French ATC mismanagement, with French ATC delays forecast to cost airlines up to €1.7bn p.a. by 2035, while 30% of French controllers are due to retire by 2035, worsening existing staff shortages. Despite this looming capacity crisis, French ATC productivity remains below the EU average, taking approximately 5 years to train a controller in France, compared with its European countries such as the UK and Ireland, where training takes less than 2 years.

The Senate report also exposes the ongoing failure of DSNA’s long-delayed modernisation programme, with key projects running 13 years behind schedule. DSNA continues to rely on obsolete infrastructure, including paper flight strips and 1990s radio systems, with spare parts now running out. Ryanair said the report is a clear admission that French ATC is not fit for purpose and that urgent structural reform is required to prevent France becoming a permanent bottleneck in European airspace.

Ryanair is calling on the French Govt to implement immediate reforms, including uncapped recruitment of air traffic controllers until 2030 to address controller shortages and looming retirements. These reforms must also include guaranteed protection for overflights during French ATC strikes, so that flights between non-French countries are not unnecessarily cancelled or delayed by French industrial action. DSNA’s budget should be separated from French State budget constraints so that ATC charges are reinvested directly in staffing, capacity and modern systems, rather than being trapped in wider State budget restrictions.

Ryanair also called on the French Govt to shorten ATCO training times to align with European countries, where controllers can be trained in less than 2 years, and to carry out a full review of rostering and operational practices to improve productivity and capacity. Urgent investment is needed to replace DSNA’s ancient equipment and ensure obsolete systems do not shut or restrict French airspace in the years ahead. The time for excuses is over, the French Govt must fix French ATC now.

Ryanair’s Chief Operations Officer, Neal McMahon, said:

“This French Senate report confirms what airlines and passengers have known for years – French ATC Europe’s weakest link: woefully mismanaged, understaffed, underproductive and still using technology that belongs in a museum. It is extraordinary that France is still using paper flight strips and outdated radio systems while its so-called modernisation programme is more than a decade behind schedule. This is not bad luck. This is not a funding problem. This is a management failure.

The report makes clear that, without urgent reform, France will no longer be able to handle flight demand by 2030, a completely unacceptable situation for a monopoly service provider. This would be a disaster for passengers, airlines and Europe’s aviation market, with French ATC delays set to cost airlines up to €1.7bn per year by 2035.

It is also unacceptable that French ATC strikes continue to cause unnecessary disruption to overflights between two non-French countries. France already protects domestic flights during ATC strikes through minimum service rules, yet passengers flying over France, for example between Ireland and Spain, or the UK and Italy are still unfairly delayed or cancelled. The French Govt and the EU Commission must now protect overflights during French ATC strikes, while respecting the right of French ATC unions to strike.

The French Govt must now act. DSNA needs uncapped controller recruitment to 2030, shorter training times, better rostering, improved productivity and a dedicated budget that ensures ATC charges are reinvested in modern systems and capacity. France cannot be allowed to become the permanent bottleneck of European airspace because of years of ATC mismanagement. Europe’s aviation network should not be held hostage by DSNA’s failure to recruit, modernise and improve productivity.

The time for excuses is over. The time for reform is now.”