Large flight delays and cancellations followed the French trade unions strikes. Ryanair cancels 110 flights as French air-traffic controllers strike, which affected more than 20,000 passengers. Air France flight attendants also joins the strike causing large delays and cancellations ate French airports. British Airways has also cancelled 16 flights as a result of air-traffic control restrictions over France.
Many other travellers were also affected by the action by members of the USAC-CGT union. All the protesters are stopping work as part of a nationwide walk-out which constitutes the first major challenge to President Macron’s labor reforms. Some 4,000 strikes and protests have been called under the action led by the CGT, with rail workers, students and civil servants urged to protest in cities from Paris to Marseille and Toulouse.
Eurocontrol is warning of “very high delays” in the Marseille sector, covering a swathe of southern France.
Ryanair has cancelled at least 110 flights. Passengers hoping to fly from Ryanair’s main UK base, Stansted, to Barcelona, Bergerac, Blagnac, Bordeaux, Limoges, Madrid, Marseille, Palma and Perpignan, or on the return legs, are now trying to find seats on alternative services. Other casualties of the strike are Luton-Nimes, Manchester-Ibiza, Leeds/Bradford-Palma and East Midlands-Barcelona.
In Paris, the transport disruption is set to be limited to two commuter train lines, but the situation is far worse for those planning on flying in or out or some French airports.