Follow us on Facebook

Walaw

Tourism

French Skies Disrupted: 70% of Flights Grounded at Paris-Orly Amidst Air Traffic Controllers' Strike

Friday 24 May 2024 - 15:15

Zoom

French Skies Disrupted: 70% of Flights Grounded at Paris-Orly Amidst Air Traffic Controe cancellation of over two-thirds (70%) of its flights on Saturday due to a strike called by two air traffic controller unions. The unions, citing insufficient staffing levels, have initiated this action subsequent to an agreement signed with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC), as reported by French media on Friday.

Media reports indicate that the DGAC has instructed airlines to proactively cancel 70% of flights at Paris-Orly on Saturday in anticipation of the strike's impact.

According to a DGAC notice relayed by the press, "Air operators must reduce their commercial flight schedules for May 25, 2024, from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. by 70% (...) at Paris-Orly Airport."

The Unsa-Icna, the second-largest representative union of air traffic controllers (with 17% representation in the last professional elections), has called for the strike to demand adequate staffing levels, which it claims are not ensured by an agreement signed in late April between the DGAC and the leading air traffic controllers' union, the SNCTA.

This agreement, which delineates accompanying measures, including salary adjustments, for the planned overhaul of air traffic control in France, was rebuffed by Unsa-Icna and the third-largest representative union, Usac-CGT. Both unions had issued a strike notice for April 25.

Concurrently with Unsa-Icna's mobilization at Orly, Usac-CGT has issued a strike notice from May 23 to May 30 to specifically protest the weakening of the "territorial network" envisioned by the air traffic control reform, as reported by media outlets.

With air traffic controllers' demands for adequate staffing and apprehensions regarding the proposed reforms taking precedence, travelers should prepare for significant disruptions at one of France's busiest airports. The planned cancellation of 70% of flights at Paris-Orly on Saturday is expected to reverberate throughout the country's air travel infrastructure, affecting thousands of passengers and underscoring the ongoing tensions between authorities and labor unions.

In the absence of an immediate resolution, the strike action serves as a poignant reminder of the pivotal role air traffic controllers play in ensuring the efficient and safe functioning of air travel. As negotiations persist, the aviation industry and travelers alike will keenly observe developments, hopeful for a prompt resolution that can restore normalcy to the French skies.