France: Unionized air traffic controllers to strike at facilities nationwide on Dec. 18

Unionized air traffic controllers (ATC) plan to stage 24-hour strikes at several aviation facilities in France on Dec. 18. The labor action aims to denounce proposed changes to the current territorial network and the minimum levels of services that ATCs must maintain during strikes. Impacted facilities include the Northern Area Control Center (CRNA Nord), as well as the approach control centers serving Brest Bretagne (BES), Lille (LIL), Lyon (LYS), Paris-Orly (ORY), Poitier (PIS), Rouen (URO), and Saint-Yan (SYT) airports. According to the Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGAC), flight cancellations at BES and ORY will likely extend from the evening of Dec. 17 through at least 06:00 Dec 19.

To minimize flight disruptions, the DGAC will require striking ATCs to maintain a minimum level of service at those facilities where permitted by current laws - specifically at the Northern Area Control Center, ORY, LYS, and PIS. Additionally, the agency has requested officials at BES and ORY to reduce the flight volumes at those facilities by 50 percent and 30 percent, respectively, on the day of the strike. Disruptions will likely impact all of France; a previous ATC strike on Nov. 20 resulted in significant air travel disruptions. The DGAC is advising passengers to postpone their air travel if possible.