A strike by air traffic controllers is disrupting travel to, from and over France
PARIS — French Air Traffic Controllers Strike Causes Chaos at Paris Airports
About 40% of flights were canceled on Friday at all Paris airports, leaving tens of thousands of passengers scrambling to rearrange their travel plans during the peak summer season. The strike by French air traffic controllers was initiated to demand better working conditions, leading to disruptions that began on Thursday and escalated on Friday.
The national civil aviation authority instructed airlines to cancel 40% of flights at Charles de Gaulle, Orly, and Beauvais airports in Paris, 50% of flights in Nice, and 30% of flights in Marseille, Lyon, and other cities across France. Despite these preemptive cancellations, the authority warned of potential disruptions and long delays at all French airports.
Ryanair, one of the affected airlines, announced widespread disruptions with over 400 flights canceled, impacting 70,000 passengers. The airline stated that the strike affected all flights over French airspace and those to and from French airports. Ryanair urged the European Union to reform air traffic rules to prevent such disruptions in the future.
The strike was led by two unions, including UNSA-ICNA, citing a shortage of staff to manage the increasing air traffic and concerns over declining salaries due to inflation. The unions also opposed new reform measures aimed at stricter monitoring of their work following a near-collision incident at Bordeaux airport.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot condemned the union’s demands and their decision to strike during the summer vacation period when French schools are closing and families are traveling, labeling it as “unacceptable.”
