Air traffic controllers' strike: Orly, Toulouse... Flights cancelled at several French airports on Monday

Highlights: Air traffic controllers in France are set to go on strike. Airline flights to and from Paris and Marseille will be affected. The strike will last until the end of the month, unless an agreement is reached. The union representing air traffic controllers says the strike is necessary to protect the safety of passengers and staff. The unions say the strike will not affect flights to or from the U.S., where the strike began on Monday. The U.N. says it will not intervene in the strike unless the union is forced to.

Due to a strike call by several air traffic controllers' unions, the Air Traffic Controllers Airlines could give up 25% of their flight schedule at Paris-Orly, France's second-largest airport, on Monday and Toulouse-Blagnac.  Carriers have also been asked to reduce their flights by 20% at Bordeaux-Mérignac and Marseille-Provence.

Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credits: Thomas SAMSON / AFP 16:00 p.m., November 16, 2023

Due to a strike call by several air traffic controllers' unions, airlines could give up 25% of their flight schedules at Paris-Orly, France's second-largest airport, and Toulouse-Blagnac on Monday. Carriers have also been asked to reduce their flights by 20% at Bordeaux-Mérignac and Marseille-Provence.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Thursday asked airlines to give up 25% of their flight schedule at Paris-Orly, France's second-largest airport, and Toulouse-Blagnac on Monday, due to a strike call by several air traffic controllers' unions. Carriers have also been asked to reduce their flights by 20% at Bordeaux-Mérignac and Marseille-Provence.

>> READ ALSO - Air traffic controllers' strike: the France, a turbulent zone for airlines

"Minimum Service Provisions"

The activity of en route air navigation centres (CRNA), managing aircraft circulating in the French skies, will also be affected, according to the DGAC, which will apply the "minimum service provisions". "Despite these preventive measures, disruptions and delays are nevertheless to be expected," it said, inviting "passengers who are able to do so to postpone their trip and check with their airline to find out the status of their flight."

Several unions - the UNSA-ICNA, the USAC-CGT and the CFDT - intend to protest against the adoption on Wednesday of the bill aimed at obliging air traffic controllers to declare themselves individually on strike or not 48 hours in advance, as is already the case at the RATP or the SNCF. This "protective and balanced" text makes it possible to put an end to "an asymmetrical system" at the origin of a "disorganization of the public service", declared Transport Minister Clément Beaune from the hemicycle.

A risk of "instrumentalisation of the right to strike"

In a statement published on Tuesday, the National Union of Air Traffic Controllers (SNCTA), the majority union in the sector and which has not called for a strike, spoke in favour of the text, warning of an "instrumentalisation of the right to strike and its unreasonable use" in certain circumstances. This new notice comes after the SNCTA committed to respect an "Olympic truce", that is to say not to strike until the end of the Olympic and Paralympic Games scheduled in France during the summer of 2024.

According to the Minister of Transport, this agreement also commits the second largest trade union in terms of number of votes in the professional elections of air traffic controllers, the UNSA-ICNA. But not the USAC-CGT, the third largest union. Numerous days of strike by French air traffic controllers at the beginning of the year, during the dispute over pensions, led the DGAC to ask airlines to preemptively cancel part of their flights.

Air traffic controllers' strike: Orly, Toulouse... Flights cancelled at several French airports on Monday

"Minimum Service Provisions"

A risk of "instrumentalisation of the right to strike"

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