Ryanair has called on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to resign if she intends to continue to “stand idly by” while French air traffic control strikes disrupt the EU’s single aviation market.

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In an open letter issued on Tuesday, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said von der Leyen had failed in her duty to protect overflights across French airspace during last week’s two-day strike, which cancelled 1,500 flights and affected more than 270,000 passengers. According to Ryanair, 90% of those flights could have operated if overflights were protected, as they are in other sectors like road, rail and shipping.

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“Von der Leyen must defend the single market for air travel or step aside for someone who will,” O’Leary wrote. “We do not allow railways, motorways or shipping lanes to be closed by industrial action. Why should we allow air traffic control to do so?”

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The airline accused the Commission of hiding behind the excuse that air traffic control is a “national competence”, insisting that defending the single market for aviation is clearly within the Commission’s remit.

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The latest strike marks the start of France’s annual summer ATC walkouts, which frequently trigger continent-wide flight disruption. The issue has long been a point of contention between budget carriers and Brussels, with Ryanair leading calls for the EU to guarantee uninterrupted overflight rights during such strikes.

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O’Leary’s intervention comes just months before von der Leyen seeks a second term as Commission President. His warning – protect the single market or go – raises the political stakes on a technical but highly visible failure that affects millions of passengers each summer.

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