French air traffic controllers set for September strike
French air traffic controllers will walk out this week, leading to likely flight disruption in France and across Europe.
This strike has been cancelled - latest details here
France's largest union for air traffic controllers (Syndicat national des contrôleurs du trafic aérien, or SNCTA) has called on workers to walk out in a nationwide strike on Friday, September 15th.
The strike could impact people who are travelling to France for the ongoing Rugby World Cup.
The SNCTA said in their press release that they are calling for mobilisation in response to the "silence of the civil aviation authority (Direction générale de l'Aviation civile or DGAC) in the face of the current situation of inflation, despite repeated warnings from SNCTA".
SNCTA is the largest union representing air traffic controllers, but so far no other unions have announced that they are joining the strike.
At this stage it is not known exactly how much disruption this strike will cause - France's civil aviation authority the DGAC will inform airports 48 hours in advance if they need to cancel flights and, if so, how many. It is then up to airlines to decide which flights to cancel - most airlines try to protect long-haul flights and concentrate cancellations on short-haul routes.
Anyone with a flight booked will be contacted by their airline if it is cancelled.
Strikes by air traffic controllers can disrupt flights in and out of France, but can also affect 'overflights' or flights passing over France, leading to delays or cancellations.
READ ALSO: How French strikes affect European flights
While pay disputes are a large part of the reason for walkouts, Le Parisien reported that air traffic controllers are also expected to be protesting a new proposed law that would require striking workers to individually declare their plans to participate ahead of a strike.
Currently, air traffic control unions must give at least five days of notice before a strike, but individual strikers are not required to make their plans to participate known.
Several unions have called for a 'day of demonstrations' on Friday, October 13th calling for widespread pay increases to tackle the increasing cost of living.
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This strike has been cancelled - latest details here
France's largest union for air traffic controllers (Syndicat national des contrôleurs du trafic aérien, or SNCTA) has called on workers to walk out in a nationwide strike on Friday, September 15th.
The strike could impact people who are travelling to France for the ongoing Rugby World Cup.
The SNCTA said in their press release that they are calling for mobilisation in response to the "silence of the civil aviation authority (Direction générale de l'Aviation civile or DGAC) in the face of the current situation of inflation, despite repeated warnings from SNCTA".
SNCTA is the largest union representing air traffic controllers, but so far no other unions have announced that they are joining the strike.
At this stage it is not known exactly how much disruption this strike will cause - France's civil aviation authority the DGAC will inform airports 48 hours in advance if they need to cancel flights and, if so, how many. It is then up to airlines to decide which flights to cancel - most airlines try to protect long-haul flights and concentrate cancellations on short-haul routes.
Anyone with a flight booked will be contacted by their airline if it is cancelled.
Strikes by air traffic controllers can disrupt flights in and out of France, but can also affect 'overflights' or flights passing over France, leading to delays or cancellations.
READ ALSO: How French strikes affect European flights
While pay disputes are a large part of the reason for walkouts, Le Parisien reported that air traffic controllers are also expected to be protesting a new proposed law that would require striking workers to individually declare their plans to participate ahead of a strike.
Currently, air traffic control unions must give at least five days of notice before a strike, but individual strikers are not required to make their plans to participate known.
Several unions have called for a 'day of demonstrations' on Friday, October 13th calling for widespread pay increases to tackle the increasing cost of living.
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