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| France strikes: Holidaymakers braced for chaos in face of air traffic controllers' action | France strikes: Holidaymakers braced for chaos in face of air traffic controllers' action |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Holidaymakers are braced for chaos this week as members of France’s two biggest air traffic controller unions stage a six-day strike starting tomorrow. | Holidaymakers are braced for chaos this week as members of France’s two biggest air traffic controller unions stage a six-day strike starting tomorrow. |
| The SNCTA and Unsa-ICNA unions announced on Friday that the industrial action would last until Sunday 29 June. | The SNCTA and Unsa-ICNA unions announced on Friday that the industrial action would last until Sunday 29 June. |
| Air traffic controllers warned of “a heavy disruption of flights” during the strike, which coincides with 10-day-long rail protests in the country that have severely disrupted both domestic and foreign travel. | Air traffic controllers warned of “a heavy disruption of flights” during the strike, which coincides with 10-day-long rail protests in the country that have severely disrupted both domestic and foreign travel. |
| 50 per cent of scheduled flights will run, according to France Info, but controllers believe this is a conservative estimate. | |
| Affected airlines have offered preliminary advice to passengers in the face of the disruption, ahead of a Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DFAC) meeting this morning to discuss the best course of action. | Affected airlines have offered preliminary advice to passengers in the face of the disruption, ahead of a Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DFAC) meeting this morning to discuss the best course of action. |
| British budget carrier EasyJet writes on its website that journeys will be “severely” impacted over the next week and that it expects 50 per cent of its flights in and out of France will be cancelled. | British budget carrier EasyJet writes on its website that journeys will be “severely” impacted over the next week and that it expects 50 per cent of its flights in and out of France will be cancelled. |
| Meanwhile, Air France says it plans to ensure its long-haul flights run as normal but will be unable to provide information about short and medium-haul journeys until later today. | |
| Passengers are being advised to keep track of their scheduled flight ahead of their planned departure time - but they are also being advised to avoid travelling on the affected airlines during this period if possible. | Passengers are being advised to keep track of their scheduled flight ahead of their planned departure time - but they are also being advised to avoid travelling on the affected airlines during this period if possible. |
| Some 17.1 million UK citizens travel to France each year, mostly during the peak summer months. | Some 17.1 million UK citizens travel to France each year, mostly during the peak summer months. |
| On Thursday evening, over 60 per cent of the 4,000 air traffic controllers voted in favour of the protest against government aviation cuts that will hit between 2015 and 2019. Staff fear the cuts will threaten “modernisation” and lead to a “forced low-cost” approach to their work, France24 reported. | On Thursday evening, over 60 per cent of the 4,000 air traffic controllers voted in favour of the protest against government aviation cuts that will hit between 2015 and 2019. Staff fear the cuts will threaten “modernisation” and lead to a “forced low-cost” approach to their work, France24 reported. |
| The measures will be imposed in compliance with a European Commission plan to reduce air navigation costs by dividing European airspace into functional blocks according to traffic flows rather than national borders. | The measures will be imposed in compliance with a European Commission plan to reduce air navigation costs by dividing European airspace into functional blocks according to traffic flows rather than national borders. |