French strike affects hundreds of flights
An air traffic controllers’ strike has forced hundreds of flights to and from France to be cancelled, with the situation set to get worse.
France’s civil aviation authority had asked airlines to scrap around 40 per cent of flights, warning of “disruption across the whole country” on Wednesday, and it called on companies to increase cancellations to about 50 per cent on Thursday.
Flag carrier Air France warned of “very severe disruption” to its flight schedule although it pledged to operate “almost all” long-haul flights.
Low-cost operator Ryanair said it had been forced to cancel more than 250 flights due to the industrial action.
“It’s grossly unfair that thousands of European travellers will once again have their travel plans disrupted by the selfish actions of a tiny number of French … workers,” the Irish airline fumed.
Competitor easyJet said it had been forced to scrap 118 flights.
There were average delays of 30 minutes at the main Paris airport, Charles de Gaulle and 300 flights out of 700 were scrapped at the secondary airport of Orly.
On the whole, passengers had been warned well in advance and seemed to have made other plans.
The strike was called by the main air traffic union SNCTA, which wants talks over the working conditions of its members.
A particular bone of contention is the pushing back of the retirement age for air traffic controllers from 57 to 59.
French Transport Minister Alain Vidalies “regretted” that the union had chosen to call for strike action and noted that a meeting was due to take place on April 13 to discuss working practices in the sector.
SNCTA head Roger Rousseau told AFP he “hoped to find a way out” without resorting to strike action, which he said was the only way to “make ourselves heard.”
Further industrial action is planned from April 16 to 18 and from April 29 to May 2, key holiday periods.
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