Paris Orly air controller strike sparks mass flight cancellations over weekend

The French civil aviation authority (DGAC) has mandated airlines to cancel 70 percent of flights at Paris Orly airport on Saturday and Sunday due to a strike by air traffic controllers. The disruption, spanning from 0400 GMT Saturday to late Sunday, impacts one of France’s busiest travel hubs.

This strike comes at a critical time as Paris Orly, the city’s second-largest airport, gears up for an influx of visitors for the Paris Olympics starting July 26. It marks the second major strike by air traffic controllers in a month, following a previous dispute that led to thousands of flight cancellations across Europe. That earlier conflict concluded with an agreement between airport authorities and the primary union, SNCTA. However, the current strike has been called by UNSA-ICNA, the second-largest labor group, citing inadequate staffing levels.

“The managers at Orly continue their penny-pinching and shopkeeper accounts which will quickly lead to our teams being understaffed by 2027,” UNSA-ICNA stated.

The government has condemned the strike. “I deplore the behavior of some local level agents who refuse to recognize the legitimacy of a majority accord and are making passengers pay the price,” said Deputy Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete.

Paris Orly, situated south of the capital, handled over 32 million passengers last year and serves as a hub for national carrier Air France and its low-cost subsidiary Transavia. It also accommodates over 20 other airlines, including easyJet, Iberia, and TAP. This weekend, only flights between Orly and French overseas territories will operate normally, according to the DGAC.

This ongoing unrest raises concerns about operational readiness as the airport prepares for the high-traffic period during the upcoming Olympic Games.