Ryanair CEO O'Leary slams von der Leyen on EU air traffic control

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has renewed his attack on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, demanding urgent reform of the EU’s air traffic control (ATC) system. In a public letter the airline cited a French Senate report describing France’s ATC as “the worst in Europe”, noting that delays rose 60 % compared with 2019 and are projected to cost airlines €800 million in 2025. O'Leary called for ATC providers to be fully staffed for the first wave of morning departures and for protection of over‑flights during national ATC strikes.

He accused von der Leyen of “talking about competitiveness while doing nothing”, urging her to resign and let a competent leader deliver the reforms outlined in Mario Draghi’s 2024 competitiveness report. Ryanair argues that rising delays and fees are eroding the sector’s cost‑competitiveness and that airlines cannot recover these costs from ATC service providers.