Passengers flying to, from, or over France have been granted a temporary reprieve as the main French air traffic control union, SNCTA, has suspended a strike planned for 18-19 September. The decision follows the collapse of the French government, leaving no minister of transport to negotiate with.
The union cited a long list of grievances, including “mistrust, punitive practices, and brutal managerial methods” in air traffic control governance. However, it acknowledged that the strike “is no longer compatible with the possibility of achieving demands due to a lack of interlocutors” after Prime Minister Francois Bayrou’s government fell in a confidence vote.
Despite the postponement, a longer strike is planned from the morning of Tuesday 7 October to the morning of Friday 10 October. This walkout could be more damaging than previous ones, affecting delegates returning from the Abta travel association convention in Mallorca from 6-8 October.
French air traffic controller strikes have a severe impact on airline operations, with one in three European flights routed to, from, or over France. A two-day strike in July by two smaller unions caused nearly 3,000 cancellations and delayed one in nine flights by an average of 41 minutes. Eurocontrol estimated the cost to the aviation industry at €120m (£104m).
Ryanair, which faced 718 cancellations in July, warned that 700 flights with 125,000 passengers could be affected in September. The airline’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, urged the European Commission to protect overflights, stating: “The French can go on strike, but Europe must protect overflights.”
