A major strike by French air traffic controllers demanding better working conditions caused significant travel disruptions during Europe’s peak summer holiday season, with around 40% of flights to and from Paris canceled on Friday.
The disruptions, which began affecting airports across France on Thursday, intensified Friday. France’s civil aviation authority instructed airlines to cancel 40% of flights at major Paris airports — Charles de Gaulle, Orly, and Beauvais — along with half of all flights in Nice and 30% of flights in cities including Marseille and Lyon.
Despite these preemptive cancellations, the aviation authority warned that delays and disruptions would persist at all French airports. Departure boards in Paris were filled with delayed and canceled flights bound for destinations throughout France, Europe, North Africa, and beyond.
Budget airline Ryanair reported that it had to cancel over 400 flights, affecting roughly 70,000 passengers. The airline emphasized that the strike is impacting not just flights in and out of France but also those flying through French airspace. Ryanair called on the European Union to implement reforms to air traffic management rules to prevent such widespread disruption.
One of the unions leading the strike, UNSA-ICNA, cited a lack of staff to handle growing passenger volumes and inflation reducing the value of workers’ wages. The unions are also opposing newly proposed oversight reforms that stemmed from a near-miss incident at Bordeaux airport, which aimed to increase monitoring of air traffic controllers’ duties.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot criticized the timing of the strike, calling it “unacceptable,” especially as it coincides with the start of summer holidays and school closures, a time when many families begin traveling.
Travelers caught in the chaos shared their frustration. Mariano Mignola from Naples, Italy, was in Paris with his wife and children when they discovered their return flight was canceled. “Last night, when we checked in, we sensed something was wrong. We checked the airport website and found out the bad news,” he said. “We came hoping for help — maybe accommodation — but received nothing. We’re stuck trying to solve this ourselves during peak holiday season. There’s not even a car available to rent.”
Another affected passenger, Patrick Haus from Paris, missed a scheduled meeting in Nice after his flight was canceled. However, he expressed some support for the strike, saying, “In a way, I sympathize with the strikers. It’s important to remember that people don’t go on strike just for fun.”
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