France Halts Air Traffic Controllers’ September Strike, Postponing Action Due To Lack Of Negotiation Opportunities Amid Political Changes And Travel Disruptions Expected In October, Here’s Everything You Need To Know

Published on September 15, 2025

France Halts Air Traffic Controllers’ Strike for September, Postponing Action Due to Lack of Government Counterpart, But Severe Air Travel Disruptions and Tourism Delays Are Still Expected. The Syndicat nationalist des contrôleurs du trafic aérien (SNCTA), representing 70% of France’s aerial postulation controllers, had initially planned a onslaught from September 18-19 to subordinate a nationalist mobilization. However, pursuing nan caller assignment of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, which near nan proscription assemblage without a clear negotiating counterpart, nan national decided to postpone nan action by 21 days, rescheduling it for October 7-9. Despite this delay, travelers and nan tourism manufacture are still facing important disruption, arsenic different unions successful aviation and carrier proceed to property for strikes connected September 18, threatening to create chaos crossed some aerial and obstruction recreation successful nan coming weeks.

France’s aerial postulation controllers were primitively group to onslaught from September 18 to 19, but this planned action has been suspended for nan clip being. Instead, nan Syndicat nationalist des contrôleurs du trafic aérien (SNCTA), which represents astir 70% of France’s aerial postulation controllers, has rescheduled its onslaught for a three-day play successful early October—October 7 to 9. The determination to hold nan onslaught came aft nan assignment of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, creating a deficiency of disposable authorities counterparts for meaningful negotiation.

While nan SNCTA’s move has postponed nan labour unrest, it has not wholly removed nan threat of important disruptions. Other unions crossed aviation and carrier sectors person confirmed their continued plans for action connected September 18, which could origin sizeable chaos for travelers, particularly successful aerial recreation and tourism. As such, this article will supply a elaborate overview of nan onslaught situation, its implications for aerial travel, and nan broader consequences for nan tourism sector.

The Rescheduling of nan Strike

The SNCTA had initially planned to participate successful a nationalist mobilization connected September 18, joining different unions crossed France to protestation authorities policies. However, nan business shifted dramatically erstwhile Prime Minister Lecornu was appointed, leaving nan proscription assemblage without a clear constituent of speech successful nan government. This governmental reshuffling made it intolerable for nan SNCTA to prosecute successful meaningful discussions pinch nan applicable authorities officials earlier nan original planned onslaught date.

Key Reasons for nan Rescheduling:

• Government Changes: The caller assignment of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu led to a deficiency of disposable authorities counterparts.
• Lack of Negotiation: With nary carrier curate successful place, nan national recovered it difficult to efficaciously negotiate.
• Postponed Strike Dates: As a result, nan SNCTA moved nan onslaught to October 7–9, a much strategical clip for negotiations.

As a result, nan national announced connected September 12 that it would cancel nan planned onslaught and reschedule it for October 7 to 9, a format that is accordant pinch nan SNCTA’s accustomed approach. Typically, nan national originates pinch a one-day onslaught and, if its demands are not met, escalates nan action complete respective days. This method intends to maximize unit connected some nan authorities and nan airlines while minimizing first disruption. By shifting nan onslaught date, nan SNCTA hopes to summation nan likelihood of receiving a consequence from nan authorities connected its demands.

The Demands of nan SNCTA

The main grievances driving nan SNCTA’s actions are related to nan financial and operational conditions of aerial postulation controllers. Specifically, nan national is calling for afloat net adjustments for 2024, successful statement pinch inflation. This request is peculiarly pertinent fixed nan expanding costs of surviving successful France, which has seen important inflationary pressures successful caller years. The national argues that aerial postulation controllers are being asked to support precocious levels of work and accent without capable compensation.

Additionally, nan SNCTA is calling for reforms to nan governance of nan aerial postulation power profession. This request is rooted successful concerns complete really nan occupation is managed and really resources are allocated wrong nan sector. According to nan union, these reforms are basal to guarantee nan semipermanent sustainability of nan aerial postulation power strategy successful France, arsenic good arsenic to guarantee nan information and well-being of nan controllers themselves.

Key Demands of nan SNCTA:

• Salary Adjustments for 2024: Full net adjustments successful statement pinch inflation.
• Governance Reforms: Changes to really nan aerial postulation power occupation is managed, including nan allocation of resources.
• Professional Sustainability: Long-term reforms to guarantee nan well-being of controllers and nan information of nan aerial postulation power system.

The Impact of Past Strikes

The SNCTA has a history of striking, and their past actions person led to important disruptions. One specified onslaught took spot connected December 17, 2024, erstwhile a erstwhile action by nan SNCTA caused terrible delays astatine respective cardinal French airports. Among nan airports impacted were Montpellier, Nimes, and Perpignan. In particular, nan Lyon-Saint-Exupéry Airport was deed hard, pinch 60% of its flights either delayed aliases canceled owed to nan strike. This incident highlighted nan important effect that aerial postulation controller actions tin person connected some home and world aerial travel.

The disruption caused by nan December 2024 onslaught serves arsenic a reminder of nan imaginable standard of nan upcoming business action, should nan onslaught spell up successful October. With France being a cardinal hub for European aerial travel, immoderate disruptions to nan aerial postulation power strategy could person knock-on effects for flights not only wrong France but crossed Europe arsenic well.

Key Disruptions from Past Strikes:

• Lyon-Saint-Exupéry: 60% of flights were either delayed aliases canceled.
• Airports Affected: Montpellier, Nimes, Perpignan.
• Ripple Effect: Delays and cancellations not only affected home recreation but besides impacted world flights walking done French airspace.

September 18: Broader Disruptions Still Expected

Despite nan SNCTA’s determination to hold their strike, different unions wrong nan aviation and carrier sectors are maintaining their calls for business action connected September 18. This includes unions astatine Air France, specified arsenic FO, CFDT, and CGT, who person urged their members to subordinate nan nationalist mobilization. While aviator organizations person not joined nan strike, nan information of different hose and airdrome unit could still origin important disruption.

In summation to aviation, nan obstruction assemblage is besides group to acquisition strikes connected September 18. Three awesome unions representing astir 70% of obstruction unit person revenge notices for action connected nan aforesaid day. This mixed disruption crossed some aerial and obstruction carrier systems is expected to severely impact travelers, particularly those relying connected aggregate modes of carrier to scope their destinations.

Other Key Strikes to Watch:

• Air France Unions: FO, CFDT, and CGT unions impulse workers to strike.
• Rail Sector Strikes: Three unions representing astir 70% of obstruction unit are taking action.
• Pilot Organizations: Not participating successful nan onslaught but still affected by disruptions from different staff.

The French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) has indicated that it will rumor forecasts successful nan days starring up to nan action. These forecasts will counsel airlines connected really galore flights must beryllium trim successful bid to negociate nan anticipated aerial postulation power shortage. Travelers are encouraged to intimately show their airline’s communications during this period, arsenic important disruptions to formation schedules are likely.

Potential Impact connected Air Routes

Routes astir astatine consequence of delays and cancellations see those that often transverse French airspace, peculiarly flights betwixt nan UK, Spain, and Italy. These routes are particularly susceptible owed to nan dense postulation that passes done French-controlled airspace. Even though nan SNCTA is not participating successful nan September strike, nan disruption caused by different unions and nan anticipation of smaller factions wrong aerial postulation power joining nan onslaught intends that nan imaginable for important formation delays remains high.

Routes Likely to Be Affected:

• Flights Between nan UK, Spain, and Italy: These routes often walk done French airspace, making them susceptible to delays.
• Cross-European Flights: Flights passing done France from different European countries are besides astatine risk.

In summation to aerial postulation controllers, hose and airdrome workers covered by participating unions whitethorn besides locomotion retired connected September 18. This could further complicate operations, creating a cleanable large wind of recreation disruptions. In July 2024, smaller stoppages by various unions caused astir 3,000 canceled flights and wide delays crossed Europe, making it clear really quickly things tin escalate erstwhile aggregate sectors are involved.

Although nan contiguous threat of onslaught action has been postponed, nan rescheduled onslaught successful October could bring moreover much terrible disruption. The October 7 to 9 onslaught will apt impact some home and world flights, pinch travelers advised to stay vigilant and informed. As is emblematic pinch SNCTA actions, nan national will apt commencement pinch 1 time of onslaught action and, if negotiations do not progress, escalate nan action to aggregate days.

During nan erstwhile onslaught connected December 17, 2024, disruptions were felt crossed French airports, but nan ripple effect was felt acold beyond France’s borders. Many European flights that walk done French airspace were affected, and a akin business is expected successful October. Given nan clip of year—early October—is often a engaged recreation period, nan standard of imaginable disruption could beryllium significant.

October 7–9 Strike: What to Expect:

• Multiple Days of Disruption: The SNCTA typically escalates onslaught actions complete respective days, and this shape is expected successful October.
• Disruptions Beyond France: Given France’s position successful European aerial travel, flights passing done French airspace could acquisition delays and cancellations.

While nan September 18–19 play appears to beryllium little impacted by aerial postulation controller strikes, nan threat of broader disruptions remains, particularly if smaller unions wrong aerial postulation power subordinate nan action aliases if strikes by different carrier workers escalate. Travelers should beryllium alert that moreover if nan SNCTA onslaught is postponed, they whitethorn still look disruptions.

France has postponed its aerial postulation controllers’ onslaught primitively scheduled for September 18-19, shifting it to October 7-9 owed to nan deficiency of a authorities counterpart pursuing nan assignment of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. However, important aerial recreation and tourism disruptions are still expected arsenic different unions proceed their planned actions.

The upcoming October 7–9 strike, mixed pinch ongoing disputes complete aerial postulation controller salaries and governance reforms, intends that aerial recreation successful France will stay volatile. Those readying to recreation to, from, aliases complete France during this play should enactment informed astir nan latest developments, show their airline’s communications closely, and stay prepared for imaginable delays aliases cancellations. With nan European recreation play still successful afloat swing, nan effects of this business action will apt beryllium felt crossed nan continent, making it a captious rumor for anyone progressive successful aerial recreation aliases tourism successful nan coming months.