Just when you thought the worst of 2022’s air travel strikes were behind us, France’s air traffic controllers have gone and thrown European airports into disarray again.
In a dispute over pay, members of France’s National Syndicate of Air Traffic Controllers walked out at 6am this morning for a 24-hour strike. It affects not only flights departing and arriving at French airports, but also any planes crossing through French airspace on their way to somewhere else.
More than 1,000 flights have been cancelled so far as a result, including 420 by Ryanair. The airline says that 80,000 passengers have been affected, according to The Independent.
Other airlines to have cancelled flights due to the French air traffic control strike include British Airways, easyJet and Air France, which aims to run fewer than half of its planned short- and medium-haul flights.
However, other operators such as Aer Lingus, Jet2 and TUI said on Thursday that they expected no disruption as a result of the strikes.
Travel disruption is also predicted in the UK over the weekend following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, including flight cancellations during the monarch’s state funeral on Monday September 19.
The French air traffic control strike is due to end at 6am French time on Saturday September 17. Delays and last-minute cancellations are likely throughout Friday and into Saturday morning, so if you’ve got a flight planned – especially if it goes anywhere near France – make sure to check its status before you leave for the airport.
Oh, and further French air traffic control strikes are already being threatened for September 28 to 30 – so watch this space for more potential disruption soon.