Ryanair has sent a letter urging Von der Leyen to resign if she fails to protect the single market for flights within Europe.

Ryanair has demanded that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen resign if she does not take action to protect the single market for flights over Europe during the nationwide strikes by French air traffic control.

This is what the Irish company said in a letter sent to Von der Leyen on Tuesday, as part of the "recreational" summer strikes by French air traffic control, which began late last week and led to the cancellation of 1,500 flights .

The low-cost carrier has warned that "90% of these flight cancellations would have been avoided if flights over France had been protected during French ATC strikes."

"Despite repeated calls from the airline industry, Von der Leyen has refused to take action to protect and defend the single market for air transport during the French ATC strikes. Ryanair calls the continued failure of the President of the European Commission indefensible and unacceptable," the airline stated.

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has written an open letter to Von der Leyen, calling on her to take "immediate action to protect overflights during the French ATC strikes or resign."

O'Leary criticized "the European Commission's false claim that air traffic control is a national responsibility," when the protection of the single market for air transport falls under the purview of the European Commission.

Ryanair said it was "unacceptable that Von der Leyen stands idly by while the single market for air transport in Europe is repeatedly blocked by French air traffic controllers." "We do not allow our railways, our motorways, or our shipping routes to be closed due to strikes, so it is unacceptable that the President of the European Commission does not defend the single market for air transport," O'Leary insisted.

During the Brexit negotiations, the Irish airline recalled that Von der Leyen "repeatedly stated that protecting the single market is the most important duty of her presidency of the European Commission ." "If this is the case, she should take immediate action to protect overflights and the single market for air transport during the French air traffic control strikes and stop failing on this issue," the airline insisted.