French ATC strike threatened for next week
Airlines are warning of possible flight disruption next week as French Air Traffic Controllers threaten five days of strikes.
Airport workers at Brest, Aix-en-Provence and Bordeaux are planning to walk out from Monday to Friday, while there is a separate call to strike on Tuesday (March 7) by Air France employees.
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The action won’t just affect flights to and from these airports, but will also impact flights using French airspace, including those to Spain, Portugal, and the Canary Islands.
Flight compensation company, EU Claim, said this was bound to be the first of many strikes.
"If the French unions follow the strike patterns of 2014/15/16, we are also likely to see further action in May and June, spoiling summer holidays," said UK manager Tjitze Noorderhaven.
"There is no sugar-coating it. Next week, we’re set for travel misery."
Monarch said it plans to operate a full schedule but anticipates there may be disruption. It advised passengers to arrive at the airport in plenty of time to check in for flights.
EasyJet said it would do everything possible to minimise the impact on its services.
"We recommend that if you are flying next week that you check the status of your flight on our flight tracker prior to travelling," it said.
British Airways, which is already being hit by strike action from its own cabin crew next week, said it was awaiting more information from the French authorities and will then assess its schedules.
Flybe advised customers to check its ‘live’ flight information and apologised for any inconvenience for circumstances ‘that are entirely beyond our control’.
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Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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