Ryanair is sharply criticizing European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and demanding immediate reforms to Europe's air traffic control (ATC). The background is a report from the French Senate that, according to the airline, shows that French air traffic control is the most problematic in Europe.

According to the report, delays in French air traffic control have increased by 60 percent compared to 2019, which according to Ryanair cost European airlines around 800 million euros in 2025.

Ryanair believes that the EU Commission has talked about increased competitiveness for several years, but has not implemented the reforms that the aviation industry is demanding.

Among other things, the airline wants the EU to require that all European air traffic controllers have full staffing for today's first wave of departures and that overflights be protected during national air traffic controller strikes, so that flights that are not scheduled to land in the country concerned can continue their journey.

– It is time for Ursula von der Leyen to stop talking about competitiveness and start delivering it, says Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary in a statement.

O'Leary further argues that the recommendations of the so-called Draghi report on European competitiveness from 2024 have not yet been translated into concrete measures. He also criticizes the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and argues that the current rules disadvantage European airlines because flights within the EU are subject to charges while many long-haul flights outside the Union are exempt.

The French Senate report is being used by Ryanair to support its demands for a reform of Europe's air traffic management. The European Commission has not yet commented on Ryanair's latest statement.