An unprecedented wave of disruptions is paralyzing French and European skies due to an air traffic controllers’ strike that, for the second consecutive day (see AVIONEWS 1 and 2 and 3), has led to the cancellation of over a thousand flights and massive delays, precisely at the start of the Summer departure period. The Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGAC) has confirmed that about 1,000 flights, either departing or arriving, were canceled this Friday, an increase compared to the 933 cancellations of yesterday: Parisian airports were particularly hit.

The mobilization, called by two minority unions –Unsa-Icna and Usac-Cgt– is generating a devastating impact on hundreds of thousands of passengers in France and across the continent. The unions’ demands focus on improving working conditions and increasing staffing levels, issues that the Minister of Transport, Philippe Tabarot, has labeled “unacceptable” and “unjust".

Strong indignation has been expressed at the highest levels of the French government. Tabarot, speaking this morning on “CNews/Europe 1", denounced the “millions of euros” in losses already incurred by airlines due to this protest. Even harsher was the comment from the Prime Minister François Bayrou, who yesterday evening on “BFMTV” described the strike as “shocking", accusing the unions of “taking the French hostage” by choosing the peak holiday travel days.

The DGAC revealed that the strike participation rate stood at 26.2% yesterday (272 controllers out of approximately a thousand staff walked out). Despite the not particularly high percentage, the impact was amplified by the critical nature of the controllers’ role. Yesterday, 10% of initially scheduled flights were cancelled, with peaks of 50% at Nice Airport and 25% at Paris-“Charles de Gaulle” and Orly, hubs that in Summer handle a combined total of 350,000 passengers per day.

European repercussions and the voices of airlines

The effects of the unrest have spread well beyond French borders. The European carrier association Airlines for Europe (A4E) estimated that 1,500 flights will be cancelled across Europe yesterday and today, affecting nearly 300,000 passengers. Ourania Georgoutsakou, A4E’s Director General, called the strike “intolerable", highlighting how French air traffic control is already responsible for some of the worst delays in Europe.

Ryanair had to cancel 400 flights, impacting 70,000 passengers. CEO Michael O’Leary, as usual, did not hesitate to harshly criticize the situation, describing it as caused by a “small number of French air traffic controllers engaging in recreational strikes". O’Leary urged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to reform air traffic control in Europe or, alternatively, to resign. Air France also had to “adjust its flight schedule", although the airline did not specify the exact number of cancellations, reassuring that its long-haul network was not compromised yesterday.

Among the main demands of the Unsa-Icna and Usac-Cgt unions are staff shortages, outdated equipment, and a “toxic management” style considered incompatible with the needs for serenity and safety. Minister Tabarot, however, rebutted these accusations by recalling a “significant 7% salary increase” last year and emphasizing the privileged conditions enjoyed by air traffic controllers: 32 working hours per week and retirement at 59 years of age.

The minister also touched on a sensitive issue, denouncing a form of “self-management in control towers, particularly dangerous for the safety of our citizens". He then reiterated his firmness: “I will not give in to this blackmail", while maintaining “the door always open to dialogue". The protest, which is also intertwined with a contested reform introducing a “clock-in” system following a “serious incident” at Bordeaux airport at the end of 2022, continues to hold millions of travellers’ plans hostage and to put the European air transport system under severe strain.