The SNCTA, the French union representing air traffic controllers, has indicated that it will publicly present its notice of a nationwide strike on September 18th in the coming days. It is pushing for an inflation-adjusted wage increase as well as changes to the way the profession is managed.
In its announcement, the union states that “for years, air traffic control has been governed by a system of mistrust, punitive practices, and degrading management methods,” and thus demands that the government, which supervises this activity, “bring about a profound change in the way the operations department operates.”
The precedents for this strike are limitless. The most recent strikes occurred on July 3rd and 4th, resulting in 3,000 cancellations in France, which is relevant to the neighbouring country’s internal dynamics.
However, in neighbouring countries, notably Spain, the issue with French air traffic control strikes is that they disrupt routes that fly over French airspace, even if the flights do not touch France. Airlines are requesting that in France, like in other European countries, they only affect domestic flights, not those that pass through French airspace.
Ryanair, one of the hardest damaged companies, has frequently called for Brussels to assist, but has yet to reply or comment. France plays a crucial role in the balance of power inside the European Commission.
Author: Derek Appleton
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