Strike risks grounding half of French flights on Friday

PARIS, France

France’s civil aviation authority said on Tuesday it had asked airlines to cancel half their flights for Friday, when air traffic controllers plan to strike for higher wages.

The labour action was called by the SNCTA union, the largest among controllers, and is likely to cause severe disruptions in mainland France that could also impact European flights, the DGAC authority said.

It said it was in discussions with the Eurocontrol aviation traffic manager to propose alternative routes for airlines to avoid French airspace.

The SNCTA said for its part that the strike was a response to severe inflation that is eroding spending power of its members, and worries about “future recruitments”.

The move comes as the French government is preparing to unveil its 2023 budget, which the union says fails to guarantee the DGAC’s financing and could limit its its ability to offer pay hikes.

France’s dominant carrier Air France did not immediately comment on the strike threat, which would also impact flights to the country’s overseas territories.