Ryanair boss predicts summer flight travel chaos – here’s where will be affected

BRITS are being warned to expect more flight chaos this summer, especially across Europe.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has predicted more disruption due to the ongoing ATC strikes in France.

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He said in a conference at the Airlines for Europe summit that airports will be “materially better” this year, when it comes to security and having more staff.

However, he added that there will still be disruption, mainly with delayed and cancelled flights and sid summer could still be “difficult”.

He said: “Air traffic control [ATC] strikes are going to be infinitely worse.

“There are capacity restrictions on European ATC systems because of the military activity over Ukraine… and all of the Asian traffic is being funnelled down across German and southern eastern European airspace.”

“So, air traffic control is going to be materially worse.”

This means your flights to destinations such as Greece, Cyprus, Croatia and Bulgaria are expected to be affected the most.

Your holiday to Turkey could also see disruption.

Ryanair was forced to cancel 230 flights over the weekend due to the ATC strikes, and has slammed the continued disruption.

An airline spokesperson said: “Eurocontrol has already recommended that the Commission take legal action to protect overflights, and it is about time that Ursula von der Leyen and her Commission stopped hiding and started acting to defend the Single Market for air travel across Europe.

“We have no difficulty with French unions exercising their right to strike, but we expect the European Commission to defend and protect the Single Market, and not have it repeatedly shut down or EU overflights cancelled just because French ATC unions engage in these recreational strikes.”

Your cheap flights are also going to cost more this summer.

O’Leary said last year that fares would go up by as much as 15 per cent, meaning the average cost of £33 would hit nearly £40.

He added “There’s going to be a second year of low double digits price inflation, because there is no capacity.

“I think this year there is a reasonable prospect… [during] the summer average air fares will be up 10-15 per cent again.”

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