What Scots travellers need to know about French air traffic control strike as 24 hours of chaos looms

Air traffic controllers in the SNCTA union, one of France’s largest air traffic control unions, are set to go on strike from the morning of September 18 to the end of day on September 19.

The action comes amid an ongoing pay dispute and a breakdown in communications with French authorities.

In a statement, it said: “On numerous occasions, the SNCTA has prioritised social dialogue and formulated concrete proposals. It is clear that this fruitless dialogue is now blocking any prospect of progress and reform.”

It added: “For several years now, air traffic control governance has been characterised by mistrust, punitive practices and degrading management methods.”

It said the national strike would cover all air traffic controllers and traffic control agents at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, however all flights to, from and over France could be affected.

How many flights could be affected?

Based on previous French ATC strikes, passenger rights company AirAdivisor predicted the action could disrupt between 1,000 and 1,500 flights in total, including nearly 200 to and from the UK. That equates to around 36,000 UK passengers who could face disruption.

AirAdvisor’s estimates, drawn from FlightRadar24's live schedule and Official Airline Guide 2025 summer projections, said Paris Charles de Gaulle airport receives approximately 80 to 100 daily flights from the UK.

Edinburgh Airport operates several flights a day to the Paris airport, as does Glasgow Airport.

Flights to Nice and Marseille Provence also receive a high number of flights from the UK.

During French air traffic control strikes on July 3 and 4, more than 1,500 flights were cancelled in total, affecting 300,000 passengers. It caused travel chaos across the UK, with several flights from Edinburgh and Glasgow axed.

While the strike on September 18 is only due to last 24 hours, passengers are also warned that disruption could last for up to 48 hours after the official strike ends due to disruption across the system.

Could flights elsewhere be affected?

According to AirAdvisor, the strike could cause ripple effects affecting travel to other European destinations.

It said the action could see between 200 and 400 flight diversions to neighbouring airports, increasing congestion.

It said Amsterdam airport could see between 10 and 14 per cent congestion from Paris reroutes, affecting thousands of UK passengers travelling via KLM.

Meanwhile, Frankfurt could experience increased congestion from Nice and Marseille diversions, delaying Lufthansa flights by between 30 and 60 minutes.

Brussels and Geneva could see traffic spikes from French diversions, delaying some UK connections.

Why are air traffic controllers striking?

The recent strikes by air traffic controllers are part of ongoing disputes around pay, working conditions and management issues.

In its statement on the upcoming strikes, the SNCTA union said its key demands related to bringing pay in line with inflation and changes to governance.

It said: “The national committee asserts that the conditions necessary for working as partners are no longer met and demands a profound change in the management of the operations department.”

In the summer, airline bosses called for action to stop the disruption being caused by the ongoing strike action among air traffic controllers.

EasyJet chief executive, Kenton Jarvis, urged the French Government to find “long-term solutions” to prevent disruption, while Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary renewed calls on the EU Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, to reform air traffic control services.

After the July strikes, Mr O’Leary said: “Once again European families are held to ransom by French air traffic controllers going on strike.

“It is not acceptable that overflights over French airspace en-route to their destination are being cancelled/delayed as a result of yet another French ATC strike.

“It makes no sense and is abundantly unfair on EU passengers and families going on holidays.”

What can I do if my flight is affected?

Passengers will not be able to claim compensation as ATC strikes are classified as ‘extraordinary circumstances’ under the EU/UK 261 regulation.

However, if your flight is cancelled you are entitled to an alternative flight or a full refund, and if the cancellation leaves you stranded, the airline must cover meals, drinks, and accommodation.

Anton Radchenko, Aviation Expert and Founder of AirAdvisor, said: “For British passengers, the smart move is to prepare in advance. If you must fly to or over France, consider early morning departures, as they are historically 20-25% less likely to be disrupted because the day’s backlog has not yet built up.

“Keep a second option ready: hold a refundable or flexible booking via Amsterdam or Frankfurt, or even look at Eurostar for short-haul connections.

“And document everything: boarding passes, delay notices, and even screenshots of airline apps. Most passengers miss out on care compensation simply because they lack proof of what happened, so ensure you have that.”