A two-day strike over working conditions by two air traffic controller unions in France has led to hundreds of flights being cancelled, leaving passengers in the lurch.
The UNSA-ICNA union has cited staffing shortages, management issues and a planned introduction of a clock-in system for controllers as concerns behind the strike. USAC-CGT, France’s third largest air traffic control (ATC) union is also calling for strike action, while SNCTA, which represents around 60 per cent of ATC workers has indicated it isn’t calling for a strike.
Impact felt by airports across Europe
France’s civil aviation authority DGAC advised airlines to revise their schedules, leading to flights at Paris airports reportedly cut by a quarter on Thursday 3 July and by up to 40 per cent on Friday 4 July. Elsewhere over half of all flights to and from Nice Airport were cancelled on 3 July, while Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Figari have also seen flight schedules significantly impacted.
The industrial action comes on the eve of the French school summer holidays when traffic typically ramps up for the start of the summer break.
“Despite preventative measures, disturbances and significant delays are to be expected at all French airports,” according to the DGCA.
Airlines being re-routed around France
The strikes have also impacted carriers flying through French airspace, with some having to be re-routed around France.
Ryanair is among the carriers impacted by the industrial action, with around 170 flights cancelled due to the industrial action. Chief executive, Michael O’Leary, accusing the air traffic controllers of holding “European families to ransom.”
He called on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to take “urgent action” to ensure minimum service levels during strikes and to protect flights travelling through French airspace.
Ryanair’s flights flying through French airspace to their destination, including airports across France and flights from Spain to Ireland and the UK to Greece are the most affected.
According to Dublin Airport Authority (daa), so far a total of 16 flights have been grounded between Dublin and the French cities of Paris, Biarritz and Nice, as well as Murcia in Spain.
Ongoing unrest
The current strikes build on an ongoing battle that controllers have had with the DGAC for years. Last year saw around 70 per cent of aircraft grounded at the end of May as a result of strikes and in 2023 ATC strikes also led to significant disruption in France with more than 10 million passengers impacted by walkouts according to Eurocontrol. That same year a legislation was passed requiring air traffic controllers to provide at least 48 hours notice of any industrial action.
Photo: Nice Cote D’Azur Airport has been impacted by the air traffic controller strike
