French Air Traffic Strike Cancels 1,500 Flights at Peak Holiday Start

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Updated Jul 4, 2025, 07:25 AM

France’s civil-aviation regulator DGAC ordered carriers to scale back operations as air-traffic controllers launched a two-day walkout at the outset of the summer holiday rush. Airlines were told to cancel a quarter of services at Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Beauvais on Thursday and 40% on Friday, while Nice faces a 50% reduction and regional hubs such as Lyon, Marseille and Montpellier around 30%.

The action grounded 933 flights on Thursday and more than 1,500 across the two days, disrupting nearly 300,000 passengers, industry lobby Airlines for Europe said. Ryanair alone axed 170 flights, affecting more than 30,000 travellers, and warned of further knock-on delays to aircraft merely overflying French airspace.

Two unions say the strike is aimed at securing more staff and opposing the planned rollout of biometric clock-in systems after a 2022 near-miss raised safety questions. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot condemned the stoppage as “inacceptable” and vowed not to yield, while Prime Minister François Bayrou accused the controllers of “taking the French hostage.”

Airlines and travel agencies estimate the disruption will cost them millions of euros and snarl itineraries across Europe if the dispute drags on. The DGAC said additional flight curbs could follow should talks fail to resolve the conflict.

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