Ryanair dubs EU chief 'Ursula von Derlayed-Again' amid ATC strike fury
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Ryanair called on the European Commission this Friday, August 22, to reform the continent's Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. The demand follows the start of an air traffic controllers' strike in Belgrade, which, according to the airline, has already caused delays for 99 of its flights, affecting 17,800 passengers in its first 48 hours.
The dispute began last Wednesday, August 20, when controllers in Serbia, whose airspace is managed by SMATSA, initiated a 40-day work stoppage. The core of Ryanair's complaint is that Serbian law does not guarantee the protection of overflights—flights that cross the country's airspace without taking off or landing there.
This situation, according to the airline, contrasts with the minimum service regulations in countries like Spain, Italy, and Greece, where these operations are protected to minimize the impact of national strikes on European air traffic. As a result, the majority of the affected passengers were not flying to or from Serbia but on routes connecting northern and western Europe with destinations such as Greece and Turkey.
Ryanair's Director of Communications, Jade Kirwan, stated that "it is unacceptable that EU passengers not even flying to/from Serbia but are simply overflying Serbian airspace en route to their destination are being forced to suffer unnecessary disruption." In its statement, the airline referred to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with the nickname "Ursula von 'Derlayed-Again'," highlighting its frustration.
Key Facts on the Belgrade ATC Strike
What is an overflight? It is a flight that crosses a country's airspace without originating from or being destined for it. For example, a London-Athens flight passing over Serbia.
Why does this strike affect flights unrelated to Serbia? Because Serbian law does not mandate minimum services for overflights, striking controllers can restrict passage through their sector, forcing aircraft to divert or wait.
What is Ryanair demanding? The airline is calling on the European Commission to impose a continent-wide regulation that would require all countries, including non-EU members like Serbia, to protect overflights during national ATC strikes.
This demand is part of Ryanair's long-standing "Protect Passengers - Keep EU Skies Open" campaign, which seeks more forceful action from Brussels to prevent local controller strikes from paralyzing skies across the continent, a recurring problem each summer season. The 40-day duration of the Belgrade strike signals a period of constant disruption for thousands of passengers if solutions are not found to mitigate its impact.
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