Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary described a French air traffic controller strike as "recreational" after the airline was forced to cancel 400 flights.

O'Leary also claimed the French unions are "struggling to find reasons to go out on strike" as it emerged 70,000 passengers had been impacted by the dispute.

But he directed his most scathing remarks at Ursula Von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, who he accused of simply shrugging her shoulders when strikes happen

French civil aviation agency DGAC told airlines to cancel 40 per cent of flights at the three main Paris airports on Friday. French controllers said they downed tools in a dispute over staff shortages and ageing equipment.

O'Leary told Sky News more needed to be done to protect overflights, which are flights travelling over the country.

He added that French domestic flights were given priority during ATC strikes and other nations, including Italy and Greece, had solved the problem through minimum service legislation.

He claimed that the vast majority of flights, cancelled over two days of action that began on Thursday, would have been able to operate under similar rules.

O'Leary said of the EU's role: "We continue to call on Ursula von der Leyen - why are you not protecting these overflights, why is the single market for air travel being disrupted by a tiny number of French air traffic controllers?

"All we get is a shrug of their shoulders and 'there's nothing we can do'. We point out, there is."

He added: "We are calling on Ursula von der Leyen, who preaches about competitiveness and reforming Europe, if you're not willing to protect or fix overflights then quit and let somebody more effective do the job."

The Airlines for Europe (A4E) lobby group said last night that 1,500 flights had been cancelled over the two-day strike, affecting 300,000 passengers and causing cascading delays.

Passengers due to fly to or over mainland Europe today are advised to check directly with their airline for latest updates on the status of their flight.

The chief executive of Dublin and Cork Airports operator daa also accused the French air traffic controllers of holding other countries to ransom.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Kenny Jacobs said that in addition to the flights that have been cancelled, there will also be significant delays due to the strike.

"This is the annual ransom by a very small group of French air traffic controllers. About 50 air traffic controllers in Paris have disrupted the plans of over half a million European travellers on the big exodus where everyone goes on their holidays and it's simply unacceptable," he stated.

"It happens every year. They only strike on Fridays and it's unacceptable. Europe needs to do something and it's very unfair to the Irish families flying from Dublin to Faro wondering why they're suffering a four-to-six-hour delay because they're not going to France, but they're flying over France," he said.

"The key thing that Europe needs to do is say to the French, flights over France cannot be disrupted if you're having a strike, that's your problem," he said.

(Pic: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)