Travellers in France will yet again face disruption on Friday 13 October following the latest round of nationwide strikes as part of a long-drawn-out dispute over pay.
Multiple French labour unions, including those representing transport workers and air traffic control (ATC) officers, have called for a national work stoppage from Thursday evening (12 October) running through Friday 13 October until 6am on Saturday 14 October.
Around 40 per cent of flights at Paris Orly have been cancelled, 25 per cent of flights at Marseille-Provence airport and 15 per cent at Paris Beauvais, according to local media reports.
With additional delays expected, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) has encouraged travellers to postpone travel plans and directly contact airlines for further information.
Low-cost carrier Ryanair has once again called for overflights to be protected during the strike and urged the EU Commission to take “urgent action”.
A Ryanair spokesperson said: “It is disgraceful to think that French ATC are striking again this Friday – the 64th day of ATC strikes in 2023 alone – and despite Ryanair’s repeated calls on Ursula von der Leyen and her college of commissioners, they still have not taken any action to protect EU passengers from suffering needless disruptions during these ATC strikes.
« We have no problem with French ATC unions exercising their right to strike, but the EU Commission should insist that cancellations due to national French strikes are allocated to French flights, not those overflying France en route to another unrelated EU destination,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Additional disruption is expected on railways and metro lines across France on Friday. Paris Metro workers also have threatened strike action during the ongoing Rugby World Cup, which runs until 28 October at Stade de France, Saint-Denis.
Source: Business Travel News Europe
