Ryanair has announced the cancellation of 220 flights on bank holiday Monday due to the latest French air traffic control strike.
The strike will impact around 35 flights arriving and departing from Dublin Airport, along with others in Cork and Belfast.
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary claims that up to 40,000 passengers across Europe will be affected, and has criticized French officials and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen for the disruption.
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He said while he accepts the right of French workers to take strike action, he argued that it is unfair for flights travelling through French airspace but not landing in France to be affected.
On Saturday, he released a video statement where he said: "France is using minimum service legislation to protect its local French flights.
"But all the cancellations are then being disproportionately being passed on to English flights, Irish flights, Italian flights, Spanish flights, German flights. This is unfair.
"When there are air traffic control strikes in Italy, they protect overflights. In Greece they protect overflights.
"France must be required by the EU commission to protect overflights.
"It is unfair that flights from the UK to Spain or from Italy to Portugal are being cancelled simply because a bunch of French air traffic control units want to go on strike.
"We respect their right to strike, but if they want to strike cancel the French flights, protect the overflights."
Monday's bank holiday will mark the 51st day of strikes by French air traffic controllers, who have been protesting President Emmanuel Macron's plan to raise the national retirement age from 62 to 64 since spring.
Travelers on flights passing through French airspace have been advised to contact their airlines for updates.
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