The French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) has requested airlines to halve their flight schedules, both in Metropolitan France and in the French overseas territories on Friday, September 16, due to a planned strike by air traffic controllers.
The DGAC has issued warnings that despite preventive measures passengers might experience flight cancellations and significant delays everywhere in France. Passengers are advised to postpone all their planned trips or to inquire with their airline to know the status of their flight to avoid inconvenience.
The nationwide strike will last from Friday, September 16, 6 am to Saturday, September 17, 6 am. To cope with the strike, the DGAC has implemented a minimum service, and it is preventively reducing the traffic.
French air traffic controllers are taking action to demand higher wages due to soaring inflation. However, according to the Union, there has been no response from the DGAC and the public authorities, and this can only be understood as “a provocation to our profession.” In addition to calling for higher wages, air traffic controllers plan to also use this strike to force authorities to open up employment in aviation, especially in air traffic control, as per the sources
The Syndicat National des Contrôleurs du Trafic Aérien (SNCTA) or the National Union of Air Traffic Controllers said: “From 2029 to 2035, a third of the body will be retiring, it is imperative to anticipate and plan recruitment, and failure to do so will have inevitable consequences in terms of public service, working conditions and mobility.”
The cuts will impact not just the whole of France but entire Europe. DGAC says that it is continuously working with Eurocontrol, the European air travel regulator to help airlines avoid the country’s airspace. As per Cirium reports, Air France, EasyJet, Transavia, Ryanair, and Volotea are expected to face the maximum brunt as they account for more than half of the departing flights scheduled on Friday. Air France-KLM shares plummeted by 5.6% in Paris, extending declines after the strike announcement, and traded 4.1% lower at the close.
The French airspace extends over 14 million squared kilometers across mainland France, the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and French overseas territories. According to the French Government’s report, 2019, French air navigation services manage one of the largest and most dense areas of airspace in Europe controlling over three million flights, 60% of which are overflights.
Meanwhile, SNCTA said on Tuesday that a second strike could be expected between September 28 and 30.
Europe has been facing maximum chaos due to rising incidents of strikes by aviation personnel, leading to airlines canceling thousands of flights and adding to passenger woes. The cities most affected were London, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt.