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Up to 33% of flights cancelled as French air traffic controllers call May Day strike

The Local France
The Local France - [email protected]
Up to 33% of flights cancelled as French air traffic controllers call May Day strike
Photo by STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP

France's civil aviation authority has instructed airports to cancel flights on May 1st, with flight schedules at some airports reduced by at least a third, as air traffic controllers plan strike action

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The next 'day of action' in the long-running French pension protests will be Monday, May 1st, but most unions are not calling for strikes - and are instead trying to get as many people on the streets as possible in marches and demos.

However, air traffic controllers have been taking part in rolling strikes, and the Direction générale de l'aviation civile (DGAC) has warned that this will result in disruption from the evening of Sunday, April 30th to 6am on Tuesday, May 2nd.

In a statement, the DGAC said it had asked airlines running flights in and out of Paris-Orly, Marseille-Provence, Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes, and Toulouse airports to reduce their flight schedules on May 1st by 33 percent.

Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Nice and Beauvais airports will cancel 25 percent of flights. 

 

It's also possible that disruptions could hit 'overflights' - those flights that pass over French airspace during their journey.

Cancellation and compensation: How French strikes affect European flights

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Anyone with a flight booked is advised to contact their airline for more details. 

So far it appears that services including trains - including the Eurostar - and French city public transport will run as normal on Monday. May 1st is a public holiday in France, and much of Europe. 

Demos and flowers: What to expect in France on May 1st 2023

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