France’s Thursday Strike Skips the Controllers, but Flights Could Still Shrink

France faces a nationwide aviation strike on Thursday, November 5. The union FO filed a notice on October 29 covering all staff at the DGAC, the civil aviation authority, along with the ENAC aviation school and the BEA accident investigator. USAC-CGT and UNSA-UTCAC are urging members to join, while SUD Aerien and UNSA Aerien are calling on ground handling, security, cleaning and maintenance workers to walk out.

One detail matters for travelers: SNCTA, the majority air traffic controllers’ union, is not taking part. Controllers still had to declare individually by noon on November 3 whether they would strike. The DGAC was due to decide on Wednesday, November 4, whether to order airlines to cut flights, and no cuts had been published as of Tuesday afternoon.

If cuts come, they are typically set as a percentage and a time slot for each airport, with airlines choosing which flights to cancel. The previous strike on September 29 led to a 5 percent reduction at Paris Charles de Gaulle and up to 25 percent in the evening at Marseille, while Orly was unaffected.

On compensation, the report notes that DGAC-ordered cuts and airport-staff strikes generally count as extraordinary circumstances, so the fixed 250 to 600 euro payout under EU rules is usually not due. Refunds, rerouting and care are still owed. Check flight status with your airline before heading to the airport.

Sources: Sortiraparis, VisaVerge