Air traffic controllers in France have called off their strike – Ryanair cancels 300 flights

French air traffic controllers cancel strike

On Wednesday, April 24, the primary union representing French air traffic controllers announced the cancellation of a planned one-day strike focused on wage disputes, following productive discussions with the civil aviation authority. Originally set for Thursday, the strike posed a threat of significant flight cancellations at Paris’ major airports, potentially leading to major disruptions.

Fortunately, last-minute negotiations between the SNCTA union and the DGAC civil aviation authority averted the impending chaos. The resulting agreement includes salary adjustments and other measures aimed at modernising France’s air traffic control systems. However, the DGAC did not officially confirm the union’s statement, and details of the reported agreement were not disclosed. It remained uncertain whether the two smaller unions, which had also supported the strike, would follow suit and cancel their plans.

The extent of disruption expected on Thursday remained unclear, with concerns raised about the potential impact on the Olympic Games scheduled to be hosted by Paris starting in late July, attracting millions of visitors. The DGAC had advised airlines to cancel most flights scheduled for Thursday. Additionally, the main air traffic controllers’ union had previously warned of the possibility of several days of strike action over the busy May holiday weekend if their demands were not met.

Despite the strike’s cancellation, Ryanair announced that it was forced to cancel over 300 flights, affecting 50,000 passengers. Other airlines have preventively cancelled some flights with destination France or flying over the country. E.g. from Brussels, 8 Brussels Airlines flights to French destinations remain cancelled, as well as an Iberia flight to Madrid and a GetJet flight to Athens.