Air traffic controllers in France are staging a day of industrial action in the form of strikes; the 53rd day of strikes by the profession this year.
Rather than attempting to canvas higher pay, controllers are protesting against new legislation (passed on 15 November) requiring them to declare their intention to strike at least 48 hours in advance. This new law realigns air traffic controllers’ right to strike with other air transport workers, who must also individually declare their intentions two days before commencing industrial action.
In an attempt to mitigate disruption, the French civil aviation authority (DGAC) has instructed airlines to slash their flight schedules by 25% at the Paris-Orly and Toulouse-Blagnac airports and 20% at Bordeaux-Mérignac and Marseille-Provence.
Citing the 65 days of European ATC strikes (over 13 times more than in 2022) experienced this year, a Ryanair spokesperson noted: “As a result [of the strikes], even more passengers will have their flights cancelled at short notice due to this French ATC strike … despite not even flying to/from France.” They added their recommendation that the EU Commission “insist that cancellations due to French ATC strikes are allocated to French flight, not those overflying France”.
Referencing the company’s petition to ‘Protect Passengers- Keep EU Skies Open,’ which has been signed by more than two million EU passengers to date, the Ryanair spokesperson concluded that EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen should “immediately put a stop to this [disruption] or answer to the two million passengers she has failed to protect by offering her resignation”.