More Strikes Planned by French Air Traffic Control
* UPDATE on 14/04 - Strike cancelled for this week
Last week's 48hr strike resulted in nearly 50% of flights being cancelled in France, and the SNCTA (Syndicat National des Contrôleurs de Trafic Aérien) have still not reached any agreement with management over the retirement age dispute.
If no agreement is reached today then a second strike will take place this week, plus a third one at the end of April (30th to 2nd May). The controllers are protesting against plans to raise the retirement age from 57 to 59 years of age.
The number of flights affected and cancelled last week is thought to have cost airlines across Europe some €50 million. Easyjet had to cancel the majority of their flights to and from France, cancelling 248 on Wednesday and a further 331 flights on Thursday last week. Ryanair cancelled more than 500 flights.
This second wave of strike action comes just as French schools in zones A and C start their Easter holidays. Areas worst affected are likely to be in zone A: Caen, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lyon, Montpellier, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Rennes and Toulouse with Zone C: Bordeaux, Créteil, Paris and Versailles.
Passengers should be notified of any changes or cancellations to flights but we would urge you to contact your airline before travel.
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UPDATE on 14/04 - Union cancels this week's strike but maintains threat of another strike at the end of the month if promises are not kept.
