The French Civil Aviation Authority has asked airlines to cancel 25pc of their flight schedules on Monday at Paris-Orly and Toulouse-Blagnac airports, and reduce flights by 20pc at Bordeaux-Mérignac and Marseille-Provence airports.
Air traffic will be disrupted at these four airports until Tuesday at 6am.
Three cancellations have been announced from Dublin Airport, and
- Beauvais FR024@13.45
- Nantes FR1986@19.25
- Beauvais FR1860@18.30
The operation of en-route air navigation centres will also be affected, and disruptions and delays are expected. Ryanair has called again for the Eu to protect overflights over France and gathered 2m for a petition to this effect.
The strike is called by several air traffic controllers’ unions protesting against a proposed law that requires controllers to declare whether they will strike 48 hours in advance, similar to other public service sectors.
Transport Minister Clément Beaune describes the proposed law as “protective and balanced” and aims to end an “asymmetric system” that has caused disruption to public service.
The largest and smallest unions, SNCTA with the membership of 41pc of air traffic controllers, and UNSA with 22pc support the proposed law, while the third union, USAC-CGT, with 25pc membership, has called for a strike.
The strike notice comes after the SNCTA committed to a “Olympic Truce” until the end of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in France during the summer of 2024.
So far this year, 65 strike days by French air traffic controllers resulted in pre-emptive flight cancellations by airlines during the retirement reform conflict.
