A one-day strike of air traffic controllers organized by the trade union takes place in France today SNCTA. Airlines flying to or from French airports canceled more than 1,000 flights today. Many airlines also had to make changes to their routes if their planes were to fly over French territory. Due to the strike, which will last until six in the morning on September 17, tens of thousands of passengers were forced to change their plans.
SNCTA union members are demanding higher wages amid rising inflation, as well as the hiring of additional workers, given the recovery from the pandemic in demand for air travel. According to Euronews, Air France has canceled 55% of short and medium haul flights and 10% of long haul flights due to the strike. Ryanair has canceled 420 flights, affecting 80,000 passengers. The carrier called the strike “unjustified”, noting that “it is simply inexcusable that even those passengers who did not fly to or from France were affected.” The exact number of canceled flights by EasyJet is not indicated, it is only said that there are “hundreds” of them. The French low-cost carrier has canceled 140 flights.
The air traffic controllers’ union has warned that it intends to hold another three-day strike on September 28-30 with the same demands if an agreement with the French civil aviation department cannot be reached before then.