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News.com.au
2 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Second day of travel chaos as French air traffic controllers strike
French air traffic controllers staged the second day of a two-day strike on Friday, prompting the cancellation of hundreds of flights not just to-and-from France but also overflying the country as summer holidays kick off. Paris airports risk being even more severely affected than on the first day of the strike on Thursday, which was called by two minority unions calling for better working conditions and staffing. The timing of the strike is particularly acute with Friday the final day of school in France before the summer holidays, with many families planning an early getaway. France's DGAC aviation authority said 933 flights departing from or arriving at French airports were cancelled on Thursday, some 10 percent of the total number of flights initially scheduled. The proportion of cancellations rose to 25 percent at the main airports in Paris. But on Friday the situation risks being even more severe with the DGAC asking companies to cancel 40 percent of flights to deal with the strike. French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou described the strike as "shocking". "Choosing the day when everyone goes on holiday to go on strike at air traffic control is taking the French hostage," he told BFMTV. - 'Unacceptable' - The effects of the strike are not limited to France and the stoppage has triggered hundreds of cancellations of flights that fly over the country. The European Airlines for Europe (A4E) association said 1,500 flights would be cancelled on Thursday and Friday in Europe, affecting 300,000 passengers. "French air traffic control already delivers some of Europe's worst delay figures and now the actions of a minority of French air traffic control workers will needlessly disrupt the holiday plans of thousands of people in France and across Europe," said A4E chief Ourania Georgoutsakou. The association said the strikes also caused "almost 500,000 minutes" in delays in Europe on Thursday on nearly 33,000 commercial flights. Ryanair, Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers, said it had cancelled more than 400 flights. "These strikes are unacceptable," said Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary, urging the EU Commission to protect such overflights by law in case of strikes. "Of these 400 flight cancellations, 350 would not be cancelled if the EU protected overflights over France." At Paris airports, passengers stared at departure boards loaded with cancellations to assess their options. "I came here on holiday to celebrate my wife's 40th birthday, but now I'm stuck at Charles de Gaulle Airport," said Julien Barthelemy, a passenger travelling to Marseille from New York, late Thursday. "I'm currently on the waiting list for three flights and am waiting for a spot on the next one to become available." tq-sjw/ah/jxb
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Flight delays, cancellations as French air traffic controller strike continues
French air traffic controllers continued strike action for a second consecutive day, causing the cancellation of 40 percent of flights across all Paris airports on Friday and disrupting travel plans for holidaymakers at the height of Europe's travel season. A strike by French air traffic controllers entered its second day on Friday, causing further flight delays and cancellations at the start of Europe's peak travel season. Civil aviation agency DGAC told airlines to cancel 40% of flights at the three main Paris airports on Friday because of the strike, which the air traffic controllers say is over staff shortages and ageing equipment. Up to half of flights at France's other airports, mostly in the south, were also affected, DGAC added. French transport minister Philippe Tabarot called the strike unacceptable. "The idea is to disturb as many people as possible," he said in an interview with CNews. Read moreMore than 1,500 flights cancelled as French strike disrupts summer getaways Read more on FRANCE 24 EnglishRead also:More than 1,500 flights cancelled as French strike disrupts summer getawaysFrance asks airlines to reduce flights due to planned air traffic controller strike
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Strike by French air traffic controllers disrupts summer travel
French air traffic controllers launched a two-day strike on Thursday to demand better working conditions, disrupting travel for tens of thousands of people at the start of a summer holiday season. The DGAC civil aviation authority has asked airlines to cancel some of their flights to ensure there are enough controllers on duty. The strike affected air traffic across Western Europe. Ryanair, Europe's largest airline, said on Thursday it was forced to cancel 170 flights, affecting 30,000 passengers. "Once again, European families are being held hostage by French air traffic controllers," said Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary. The Airlines for Europe association, which includes Ryanair, Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways and EasyJet, described the action as "intolerable". According to sources familiar with the matter, 270 air traffic controllers out of a total workforce of around 1,400 went on strike. UNSA-ICNA, the second biggest labour group in the sector, launched the action to demand better working conditions and more staff. It was joined by the third largest union, USAC-CGT. Shortly after 10 am on Thursday, flights were experiencing significant delays, including an average of 1.5 hours for arrivals and 1 hour for departures in Nice, France's third-largest airport. A quarter of flights departing from or arriving at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Paris Orly have also been cancelled. Airports in the south were particularly hit. In addition to Nice, 30 percent of flights have been cancelled in cities including Lyon, Marseille, and Montpellier. On the eve of the school holidays on Friday, the situation is expected to become even more tense at Paris airports and Beauvais, where the DGAC has ordered a 40-percent reduction in the number of flights. On Thursday morning, the Eurocontrol monitoring agency warned airlines of "significant" delays in the airspace managed by the air traffic control centres in Marseille, Brest and Reims. Sources said that business aviation, particularly in Nice and Le Bourget near Paris, has also been significantly affected. France's transport minister called the unions' demands unacceptable. "The demands made by minority unions are unacceptable, as is the decision to hold this strike at the start of the holiday season," Philippe Tabarot said on Wednesday.
Al Arabiya
3 days ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Strike by French air traffic controllers disrupts summer travel for thousands
French air traffic controllers launched a two-day strike on Thursday to demand better working conditions, disrupting travel for tens of thousands of people at the start of a summer holiday season. The DGAC civil aviation authority has asked airlines to cancel some of their flights to ensure there are enough controllers on duty. The strike affected air traffic across Western Europe. Ryanair, Europe's largest airline, said on Thursday it was forced to cancel 170 flights, affecting 30,000 passengers. 'Once again, European families are being held hostage by French air traffic controllers,' said Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary. The Airlines for Europe association, which includes Ryanair, Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways and EasyJet, described the action as 'intolerable'. According to sources familiar with the matter, 270 air traffic controllers out of a total workforce of around 1,400 went on strike. UNSA-ICNA, the second biggest labor group in the sector, launched the action to demand better working conditions and more staff. It was joined by the third largest union, USAC-CGT. Shortly after 10 am on Thursday, flights were experiencing significant delays, including an average of 1.5 hours for arrivals and 1 hour for departures in Nice, France's third-largest airport. A quarter of flights departing from or arriving at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Paris Orly have also been cancelled. Airports in the south were particularly hit. In addition to Nice, 30 percent of flights have been cancelled in cities including Lyon, Marseille, and Montpellier. On the eve of the school holidays on Friday, the situation is expected to become even more tense at Paris airports and Beauvais, where the DGAC has ordered a 40-percent reduction in the number of flights. On Thursday morning, the Eurocontrol monitoring agency warned airlines of 'significant' delays in the airspace managed by the air traffic control centres in Marseille, Brest and Reims. Sources said that business aviation, particularly in Nice and Le Bourget near Paris, has also been significantly affected. France's transport minister called the unions' demands unacceptable. 'The demands made by minority unions are unacceptable, as is the decision to hold this strike at the start of the holiday season,' Philippe Tabarot said on Wednesday.
