European flights were disrupted on Friday, September 16 when French air traffic controllers went on strike. The strike forced airlines to cancel half of the flights scheduled to arrive or depart Paris airports and others with some estimates of more than 1,000 grounded flights.
The strike was also supposed to happen on 28, 29 and 30 September, representatives said, but would be called off if the union reaches an agreement with France’s aviation authority, the DGAC. Strikes and staff shortages have resulted in cancellation of thousands of flights for the airlines.
“Between 2029 and 2035, one third of the [air traffic control] workforce is retiring. It is imperative that we anticipate and plan recruitment,” a statement by the union says. “If not, the consequences will be inevitable in terms of the public service, working conditions and flexibility.”
Ultimately, the air traffic controllers canceled an additional nationwide strike planned Sept. 28-30 after agreement reached. The unions reached an agreement with the supervisory body regarding salaries and recruitment and no additional delays were anticipated the week of 26 Sept.