French air traffic controllers announce three more strike days
It comes as a planned strike this Friday will mean around half of all flights from France are being cancelled
A strike over salaries by air traffic controllers in France is set to cause disruption this month
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France’s union of air traffic controllers has called for three more days of strike action later this month in addition to the planned walkout this Friday which will mean one in two flights in France will be cancelled.
The Syndicat national des contrôleurs du trafic aérien (SNCTA) has also called for strikes between Wednesday, September 28 and Friday, September 30.
The strike on September 29 could cause additional problems as it will coincide with strike action called for by France’s labour union the Confédération générale du travail.
The air traffic controllers’ strike over wages and growing staff shortages has led the Direction générale de l’Aviation civile (DGAC) to call on airlines in France to cancel half of their flights this Friday (September 16) to avoid disruption.
Read more: Strike action to ground one in every two flights in France on Friday
The cancellations will affect airports across France and will run from 06:00 on Friday until 06:00 on Saturday (September 17).
Air France has announced that 55% of its short- and medium-haul flights will be cancelled on Friday (September 16) in line with the request.
Additionally, 10% of its long-haul flights will also be grounded. It has warned that further last-minute cancellations should not be ruled out.
The airline has said that it will inform affected passengers individually, adding that: “The company regrets this action, which will have significant consequences for customers.”
In general, if your flight is cancelled, airlines should inform you of the change and either offer you a seat on another flight – if practicable – or refund your ticket.
Because the strike is being carried out by airport and not airline staff, the delays and cancellations are technically out of the airline’s control and so you would not normally be entitled to compensation.
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