At least 600 flights using French Air space to access French and other European airports have been cancelled by leading carriers due to today’s 48-hour strike by French air traffic controllers and transport workers.

The two-day strike will have serious cost implications for hundreds of European airports and airlines in particular, with TRBusiness identifying a conservative minimum 600 flights axed across a handful of major carriers this morning – a figure that will certainly grow as the full tally is counted.

TRBusiness counted more than 290 flights cancelled by Ryanair this morning, plus another 118 axed easyJet services to and from mainly European/French airports, plus wide scale flight cancellations at both British Airways and Air France.

However, the French national carrier says it will nevertheless be operating ‘more than 60% of medium-haul programme to/from Paris Charles de Gaulle; 30% of our flights to/from Orly; [and] 60% departing and arriving from other French airports.’

MORE STRIKES ARE PLANNED
In total, an estimated 40% of all French air services are said to be disrupted by the industrial action being taken by the Syndicat National des Contrôleurs du Trafic Aérien (SNCTA) union in support of its claims related to working conditions.

In fact, airlines were also asked to cut 40% of their services to and from France by the DGAC civil Aviation Authority on safety grounds yesterday, after it clearly anticipated it would not have the manpower to be able to safely operate the necessary ATC services today.

[The union is set to strike again between 16-18 April and 29 April-2 May in protest at the raising of the retirement age for air traffic controllers by two years to 59-Ed].

The French strike today coincides with what it is hoped will only be minor disruption at UK air, sea and rail customs points, as UK immigration increases its exit checks.

These are designed to scan at least 25% of all departing traveller’s passports in a drive to improve its database of who is entitled to reside in the UK and for how long – if at all.