French air traffic control strike disrupts global flights

French air traffic controllers began a two-day strike today, disrupting hundreds of flights and causing delays that have rippled far beyond France’s borders. The industrial action, driven by longstanding complaints over staffing shortages, ageing equipment, and working conditions, has led to major scheduling reductions across the country’s busiest airports.

In response, the French civil aviation authority (DGAC) instructed airlines to reduce their flights at Paris airports by up to 40%, with further reductions imposed at regional hubs, including Nice, Marseille, Bastia, and Lyon.

Ripple effects across the globe

While the disruption is concentrated in France, its impact has reached across Europe and into the Middle East.

Many flights from the region either connect through Paris or fly through French-controlled airspace.

As a result, airlines in the Gulf are contending with longer flight paths, last-minute routing changes, and growing pressure on already congested European entry points.

Even flights that were not scheduled to land in France are facing extended delays or diversions due to the knock-on effects of reduced airspace capacity.

Ryanair cancelled more than 170 flights, affecting over 30,000 passengers.

EasyJet axed 274 services, while British Airways responded by deploying larger aircraft on some routes to maintain seat capacity.

Middle East airlines

Carriers such as Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways, key players in the Europe–Middle East corridor, are particularly exposed.

Passengers transiting through Paris have faced missed connections and delayed onward travel, while operations teams work around the clock to adjust schedules and reallocate crews.

Aircraft rotations have also been impacted, resulting in increased turnaround times and operational complexity at origin airports in the Middle East.

The timing could not be worse. Summer travel across Europe is nearing its peak, and airspace is already under strain due to rerouting around conflict zones in the Middle East. Airlines are also contending with record demand, limited spare capacity, and volatile fuel prices.

- Agencies