French air traffic control strikes: ATC strike dates in September 2023 and how they affect travel to France
Following the major breakdown in air traffic control (ATC) systems that had a huge impact on numerous people travelling to and from the UK in late August, it's probable that flights will be disturbed again this month.
The primary union that represents air traffic controllers in France, the Syndicat National des Contrôleurs du Trafic Aérien (SNCTA), has decided to go on strike on Friday 15th September. This action is expected to cause flight disturbances on that day, as well as on Thursday 14th and Saturday 16th September. If the strike takes place, airlines may have to cancel certain flights between the UK and Europe that cross French airspace, which could result in additional delays. Additionally, another day of industrial action has been announced for the 13th of October.
The strike is planned to happen during the Rugby World Cup in France and will result in travel difficulties for those heading to host cities like Bordeaux, Marseille, Toulouse, Nice, Nantes, Lyon, and Paris.
The football team of France will have a match against Uruguay, which will take place in Villeneuve-d’Ascq on Thursday, September 14th. The rugby team of New Zealand will face Namibia in Toulouse on Friday, September 15th. There are a few matches scheduled for Saturday, September 16th. The football team of Wales will have a game against Portugal in Nice while the rugby team of Ireland will play Tonga in Nantes and also, Samoa will face Chile in Bordeaux on the same day.
The SNCTA workers have gone on strike due to rising inflation affecting their pay, and they have already taken part in more than 50 strikes this year. Ryanair, an Irish airline, is expressing its concern about the impact these continuous French air traffic control strikes have had on flight cancellations, as there have been hundreds of flights canceled this year alone.
Ryanair has submitted a request to the European Commission to safeguard all flights passing through airspace, and mandate at least 21 days’ notice for any industrial action. The airline alleges that France is using discriminatory minimum service laws to only protect French flights during strikes, and is neglecting to help "overflights" that fly over French airspace as a transit to other destinations. This is unlike other countries such as Italy and Greece that protect "overflights" during industrial action. Ryanair reports that it had no choice but to cancel over 4,000 flights this year because of the French ATC strikes.
Flight Disruptions: Know Your Rights
Travelers will not receive compensation if their flight gets affected due to strikes by French ATC as it falls outside the jurisdiction of airlines.
In case a flight gets cancelled, you have the right to receive a complete refund within a week from the travel date or to be redirected to your destination either through the initially booked airline or through a different route if the substitute flight provided is not satisfactory. If required, you also have the liberty to make arrangements by yourself and then demand for reimbursement of rational expenses from the airline.
When your flight is delayed at the airport for up to two hours (as long as it's less than 1,500km away), you are allowed to receive some food and drinks and get access to use the phone and email services. Additionally, if the delay exceeds an overnight stay, you have the right to be accommodated. For journeys beyond 1,500km, the threshold for compensation is three hours, or four hours for distances over 3,500km. If your flight gets delayed for more than five hours, you have the option to request a refund instead of taking the flight.
