French ATC Strike - Thursday 23rd September

[David Sharpe]

Notice that the French are on strike tomorrow, I like to try to keep abreast of how flights operate through the region on days like this. Looking on airline websites, a number are giving out warnings about possible problems, Ryanair have cancelled over 200 sectors so far.

I would be interested to hear any stories of anybody flying down to / over the French region tomorrow, slot delays, re-routes, actually getting in / out on time !!!!

I know that there were some pretty big delays on flights during the last one a couple of weeks ago (I seem to remember Palma and Murcia were affected quite badly), good luck to anybody trying to get anywhere !!!

[chevvron]

Slots issued for all IFR traffic including those not routing through french airspace; max delay so far 55 min.

[Zippy Monster]

I fly for a big european low-cost.

Went to a big Spanish airport today from my home base (France). 2 hour slot delay on the way down, 1.5 hour slot delay on the way back.

What was the most annoying was, in accordance with airline policy, we had the passengers boarded, closed up and ready to go with the intention of putting in a ready message... to be told by the home airfield ground control "sorry, the office that deals with that is closed due to the strike so we can't send a ready message". So no prospect of any improvement.

Vive la France.

[treadigraph]

My boss was supposed to be flying Gatwick/Minorca at 12:35, got a message from him around 2:45pm, on the aircraft still waiting to go. What with BA cancelling the return flight for his holiday in Turkey next month (he's had to cancel the whole thing now) he is rather less than gruntled with air transport at the minute. Not a good thing.