36As follows from paragraph 24 of the present judgment, since the concept of ‘extraordinary circumstances’ within the meaning of Article 5(3) of Regulation No 261/2004 must be interpreted strictly, it must be held that the choice of the word ‘extraordinary’ attests to the EU legislature’s intention to include in the concept of ‘extraordinary circumstances’ only circumstances over which the operating air carrier does not have any control. Like any employer, an operating air carrier faced with a strike by its staff that is founded on demands relating to working and remuneration conditions cannot claim that it does not have any control over that action.
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