Summer of discontent intensifies for European air travellers

The air-traffic staff, who control the busiest skies in Europe, are unhappy about proposed changes to working conditions and retirement

Passengers face delays and cancellations not just from air-traffic control but also a continuing pilots’ strike (REUTERS)

For British travellers to Europe, the summer of discontent acquires a new dimension on Tuesday when French air-traffic controllers join Air France pilots in going on strike.

The air-traffic staff, who control the busiest skies in Europe, are unhappy about proposed changes to working conditions and retirement. This is their 50th strike in the past seven years, and once again it has grounded hundreds of flights - many of them flying over France, rather than to or from the country.

British Airways has cancelled four flights on each of its routes between London and Nice, Barcelona and Madrid, as well as flights to and from Paris, Geneva, Milan, Rome, Venice and Zurich. The airline said: “This strike will be the ninth day of industrial action in the past three months by French air traffic controllers.”

Ryanair has cancelled 40 flights, including links from Luton to Beziers and Stansted to Carcassonne.

At Gatwick airport, easyJet’s operations on Monday continued to be disrupted by Sunday’s closure of the main runway because of a pothole. The airline also made a number of cancellations because of “air-traffic control restrictions … as a result of the weather disruption”.

Air France passengers faced delays and cancellations not just from the air-traffic control strike but also the continuing pilots’ strike. The airline said: “We plan to operate around 85 per cent of our long haul flights, around 80 per cent of our domestic flights, and around 75 per cent of our medium-haul flights to and from Paris CDG.”

Both strikes are due to end on Tuesday, but Air France warned disruption will continue into Wednesday “due to legal and operational constraints”.

Also on Tuesday, flights operated by SAS with Swedish pilots will be cancelled due to a continuing pilots’ strike. Once again the airline will cancel around 240 flights, affecting 25,000 passengers. Flights operated by crews based in Denmark and Norway are unaffected.