The air traffic controllers’ strike planned for Thursday should lead to a shambles of flight cancellations almost everywhere in France. The main air traffic controllers’ union is already threatening a new strike for the Ascension Bridge on May 9, 10 and 11.
The movement will be “very strongly followed” on Thursday, warned Tuesday the president of the main organization bringing together the main French airlines, Pascal de Izaguirre, who expects a “considerable” number of flight cancellations in the middle of school holidays in spring in part of the country.
“We were told about 75% [de vols supprimés] at Orly and 65% at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle. It will have a huge impact,” announced the president of the National Federation of Aviation and its Trades (Fnam).
The exact figures will be specified at the end of the afternoon by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC).
In addition to the cancellations, we must expect “very big delays,” a national secretary of the National Union of Air Traffic Controllers (SNCTA, majority) told AFP, on condition of anonymity.
All unions are calling for a strike after the failure of negotiations on support measures, particularly salary, for an overhaul of air traffic control in France.
Faced with the failure of the negotiations, the SNCTA even filed a second strike notice, over three days this time and in the middle of the Ascension weekend, on Thursday 9 (holiday), Friday 10 and Saturday 11 May. .
In September 2023, the SNCTA and the Unsa ICNA, the second union among air traffic controllers, declared an Olympic truce, promising not to strike for salary reasons between now and the end of the Olympic Games (July 26 to 11 August) and Paralympics (August 28 to September 8).
Air traffic was severely disrupted by strikes by air traffic controllers in early 2023, during the pensions conflict in France. These social movements also affect overflights of the territory, which arouses the ire of foreign companies.
