EasyJet Faces £25 Million Profit Blow as French Air Strikes Disrupt European Travel

French Air Strikes Cause Chaos for EasyJet and Passengers

EasyJet has found itself in the crosshairs of Europe's aviation headaches as French air traffic controllers staged strikes in early July, crippling large chunks of the continent's flight network. The British low-cost airline expects a hit of around £25 million to its yearly profits, mostly due to the chaos caused by the strikes and a spike in fuel costs. The numbers sound dry, but the impact on actual travelers was immediate – more than 1 million people across Europe faced delays or sudden trip cancellations, wrecking family breaks, business plans, and much more.

In cold figures, EasyJet had to strike off about 660 flights from its schedule, wiping out £15 million just in those few days. CEO Kenton Jarvis didn't mince words, blasting the recurring industrial actions as creating ‘unacceptable challenges’ for both passengers and airline staff. He’s now openly calling on the French government to come up with long-term solutions, rather than sticking plasters.

The strikes weren't some small-scale affair, either. Two major French unions—UNSA-ICNA and USAC-CGT—were behind the industrial action, highlighting ongoing disputes within air traffic control. According to the EU’s aviation agency, Eurocontrol, the strikes ended up costing airlines across the industry around €120 million: €47 million just from delays and €72 million from flat-out cancellations. That’s not small change for an industry still recovering from pandemic-era disruptions.

Profit Rise Overshadowed by Growing Worries

On the surface, EasyJet’s quarterly numbers looked optimistic. The airline booked a £50 million increase in pretax profits for the third quarter, taking it to a solid £286 million—right in line with analysts’ expectations. Despite these gains, the shadow of cost pressures and disruption is tough to shake. Rising fuel prices continue their slow grind upwards, making every flight less profitable, especially for budget operators like EasyJet who rely on tight margins and high passenger loads.

Demand for cheap flights isn’t drying up—people are still eager to travel. But there’s a catch: more and more travelers are holding off on booking flights due to economic jitters and record-breaking heatwaves sweeping Europe. This kind of booking hesitancy makes life tricky for airlines trying to plan capacity and set competitive fares. EasyJet admits its full-year outlook leans heavily on a strong finish to the summer—if holidaymakers hold off too long or last-minute bookings don’t flood in, things could tighten further.

Compounding matters, this isn’t just an EasyJet problem. Fellow budget player Ryanair has joined in, publicly asking the European Union to step up and prevent air traffic issues from spiraling over the rest of the summer. Both airlines worry that without EU-level reforms and more coordinated management, new rounds of strikes and underlying staff shortages could keep disrupting flights when demand is supposed to be peaking.

As the busy travel season rolls on, airlines, travelers, and regulators are all nervously watching. One thing’s clear: with so much uncertainty in the skies, EasyJet and the wider European airline industry aren’t in for a smooth ride any time soon.