France Travel Strikes: Flight Cancellations, UK Airport Disruption?

Transport workers in France are on strike, causing flight delays and cancellations in Europe. The strike is part of ongoing protests against President Emmanuel Macron.

The strikes from air traffic controllers in France has caused an impact on all of Europe during Labour Day.

Travel strikes are happening in France. Some airlines are affected. Your flight may be cancelled. UK airports are still open. Why are these strikes happening?

Travel strikes are happening. It's important to know if they will affect your travel plans. So, here's what you need to know.

These people in Nantes are protesting with a sign. The sign says something about Macron's dinner. Macron is the president of France. They're holding pots and pans too. They're making a lot of noise. This kind of protest is called a casserole protest.

Macron's pension reforms have caused strikes among air traffic controllers and members of SNCF.

He wants to increase the retirement age in France. The new age would be 64 years old. Currently, the retirement age is 62. These changes are part of his reforms.

Workers in the country would have to pay into the pension system for a longer period of time. State pensions are funded through payroll tax.

People are mad at Macron. He raised the retirement age. Macron used a special decree called Article 49.3. This let him pass his ideas without needing approval from the National Assembly.

People are upset. They think it's not fair. They want to be heard.

People think that if he uses Article 49.3 to raise the retirement age now, he might do it again later. This includes regular people and employees.

Since January 2023, protests have been happening continuously.

On 23 March 2023, angry people fought with police in Paris. They were protesting Macron's idea to change the pension system.

Which Airlines Are Impacted?

Ryanair announced that it has to cancel 220 flights on May 2. The reason is due to the strikes by air traffic controllers in France. The airline is a low-cost carrier.

EasyJet had to cancel their flights to French destinations from major UK airports like London Gatwick, Luton, Bristol, and Manchester.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, British Airways cancelled 40 London flights. Affected passengers can choose to receive a full refund, rebook, or find an alternative flight with another airline.

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary spoke in a video statement about upcoming industrial action. France is using minimum service laws to keep their local flights running, he said.

English, Irish, Italian, Spanish, and German flights are unfairly affected by flight cancellations. It's not right.

Italian and Greek air traffic control strikes protect overflights. France should also protect overflights, and the EU Commission should require this. It's not fair that flights are being cancelled due to French air traffic control strikes, causing inconvenience for passengers traveling from the UK to Spain or Italy to Portugal.

Flight Cancelled?

Some airlines have had to cancel European flights due to strikes in France, but not every route is impacted.

On 2 May, ask your airline about your flight's status before you travel.

There have been recent strikes causing trouble for people flying to and from the UK.

Workers at HM Passport Office are striking since 3 April 2023. This is affecting all seven offices across England, Scotland, and Wales.

When there are many applications, it takes longer to renew your passport. During peak times, there can be 250,000 applications per week. The strikes will make it take even longer.

UK Airports: Are They Open?

Flights have been cancelled at UK airports. None of the airports have shut down.

Around 1,400 security personnel at Heathrow Airport plan to go on strike in three phases. The first strike is scheduled from 4-6 May, the second from 9-10 May, and the third from 25-27 May.

Heathrow Airport had strikes previously, causing trouble for travellers. A picture from April 3, 2023 shows this. Security staff were the cause of the strikes.

Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, is not happy. She thinks that John Holland-Kaye is not fair. He wants to earn a lot more money, 88% more. He wants to go from £800,000 to £1.5 million. However, he does not want to give his workers a good pay rise. Sharon Graham thinks this is not right.

The conflict will get worse. More employees will vote. Summer will see more interruptions.

They said that Unite cannot stop visitors from coming to the UK during an important time.

The Heathrow Airport website says there might be issues when the strike happens. Even though the airport stays open. Some people who are travelling could be affected. If you have travel plans, you should check with your airline for updates.