Ryanair to cancel 'up to 600 flights' during French air traffic control strike

"The exact level of disruption is not yet known - workers in key industries must give 48 hours' notice of their intention to strike, France's civil aviation authority then works out how many flights will need to be cancelled at each airport, and then it is up to airlines to decide exactly which flights to axe. Airlines generally try to prioritise long-haul flights."

"A previous strike by air traffic controllers in July caused widespread disruption with hundreds of flights cancelled - including those travelling over French airspace en route to other countries. More limited industrial actions involving only one of the smaller air traffic control unions caused some flight cancellations on September 18th, and again on October 2nd. Other airlines have so far not put a figure on the expected cancellations for the October strike."

Ryanair expects up to 600 flight cancellations, affecting around 100,000 passengers, during a two-day strike by French air traffic controllers. The SNCTA union called the strike covering Tuesday October 7 to Thursday October 9, with knock-on disruption expected into Friday. French workers must give 48 hours' notice, after which the civil aviation authority assesses required cancellations per airport and airlines choose which flights to cancel, usually prioritising long-haul services. Previous strikes in July and limited actions in September and early October caused cancellations and disruption. Passengers with bookings for next week should contact airlines for flight status and further information.

Read at www.thelocal.fr