A two-day strike by French air-traffic controllers has forced airlines to ground roughly 1,500–2,000 flights across Europe, leaving an estimated 300,000 travellers stranded at the start of the summer holiday season. France’s aviation regulator DGAC ordered carriers to scrap 40% of services at the main Paris hubs, and up to 50% at regional airports such as Nice, warning that delays will persist through the weekend. Low-cost carriers have borne the brunt of the disruption. Ryanair said it had already cancelled 468 flights, while easyJet removed 274 from its schedule. Spain, which relies heavily on French airspace, lost 206 flights by midday Friday, and airports in Belgium and other neighbouring countries also reported widespread delays. The walkout was called by the Unsa-Icna union, which accuses the DGAC of “toxic” management, chronic understaffing and failure to modernise air-navigation systems. Some controllers are also protesting the introduction of a biometric time-clock system. French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot and veteran centrist politician François Bayrou condemned the action for “holding travellers hostage”. Airlines are pressing Brussels to intervene. Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary told Sky News that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen should “quit” if she cannot safeguard overflights during French industrial action. The strike coincides with the first major getaway weekend in southern Europe, when Spain’s traffic authority expects about 4.7 million road journeys as passengers seek alternatives to disrupted flights.