Hundreds of flights cancelled in France as air traffic controllers go on strike
The Local France - [email protected]
Published: 9 May, 2019 CET.
Updated: Thu 9 May 2019 11:23 CET
Around 75,000 air passengers in France were set for travel headaches on Thursday as they were warned hundreds of flights would be cancelled due to striking French air traffic controllers.
A total of 75,000 passengers could be directly affected as air traffic controllers protested in solidarity with the nationwide public sector strike on Thursday.
Around 600 flights could be cancelled as a result of the strike, with France's aviation authority the DGAC asking the airlines serving French airports to reduce their flight program by 30 percent.
The big European airlines announced that hundreds of flights could be canceled and delays are also expected on the flights that are still operating.
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Air France announced that several airports would be affected by cancellations and delays: Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Nice, Bordeaux, Nantes and Beauvais.
Air France has said that customers can change their flight free of charge if they are booked on a flight today.
The Airlines for Europe (A4E) association has asked public authorities for information on strike forecasts to be more transparent in order to better anticipate disruptions and support customers.
This kind of movement "considerably impacts the travel plans of the customers and the airlines' operations", said the association.
It is mainly short-haul flights set to be impacted with just 73 percent of them guaranteed, which does not include last-minute delays and cancellations.
However "almost all" medium-haul flights and 100 percent of long-haul flights will be running.
The unions taking part have denounced the abolition of 120,000 civil service posts, with teachers also taking to the streets on Thursday to protest government reforms.
The government is planning public sector reforms which would lead to the greater use of contract workers for some state services and a cut of 120,000 jobs by 2022 out of 5.6 million.
The strike is set to last until Friday at 6 am.
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A total of 75,000 passengers could be directly affected as air traffic controllers protested in solidarity with the nationwide public sector strike on Thursday.
Around 600 flights could be cancelled as a result of the strike, with France's aviation authority the DGAC asking the airlines serving French airports to reduce their flight program by 30 percent.
The big European airlines announced that hundreds of flights could be canceled and delays are also expected on the flights that are still operating.
READ ALSO:
Air France announced that several airports would be affected by cancellations and delays: Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Nice, Bordeaux, Nantes and Beauvais.
Air France has said that customers can change their flight free of charge if they are booked on a flight today.
The Airlines for Europe (A4E) association has asked public authorities for information on strike forecasts to be more transparent in order to better anticipate disruptions and support customers.
This kind of movement "considerably impacts the travel plans of the customers and the airlines' operations", said the association.
It is mainly short-haul flights set to be impacted with just 73 percent of them guaranteed, which does not include last-minute delays and cancellations.
However "almost all" medium-haul flights and 100 percent of long-haul flights will be running.
The unions taking part have denounced the abolition of 120,000 civil service posts, with teachers also taking to the streets on Thursday to protest government reforms.
The government is planning public sector reforms which would lead to the greater use of contract workers for some state services and a cut of 120,000 jobs by 2022 out of 5.6 million.
The strike is set to last until Friday at 6 am.
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