French ATC Strike - Will They Ever End?

JCX BXC

How many years has it been now that there has been some sort of strike by French ATC that caused havoc with flights? Personally I think its disgraceful that flights to other countries can be affected by it. It's beyond ridiculous at this stage.

I've just been told about someone who had booked a flight from Shannon-Palma today and were due to fly home Sunday. There flight today is cancelled and were told they might be able to fly from Dublin on Friday. This is not an option for them, as they cannot make their way to Dublin and don't see much point in having only 1 full day in Majorca, so they have had to cancel their trip.

Will the French ever give it a rest, its gone beyond ridiculous.

PukkaStukka

Disruption is always hard to bear, whatever the reason. I understand the grievances now are to do with work practices and retirement ages. It's similar stuff to what goes on in this country.

As an aside, they were supposed to strike three weeks ago and deferred their action after a certain Andreas Lubitz did what he did.

Any idea's why your friends couldn't fly today - was the aircraft out of position and stuck in France? I don't think flights to Spain are directly affected.

JCX BXC

PukkaStukka wrote: »

Disruption is always hard to bear, whatever the reason. I understand the grievances now are to do with work practices and retirement ages. It's similar stuff to what goes on in this country.

As an aside, they were supposed to strike three weeks ago and deferred their action after a certain Andreas Lubitz did what he did.

Any idea's why your friends couldn't fly today - was the aircraft out of position and stuck in France?

No the Aircraft will be sitting in Shannon all day, operating 1 flight. I also find it annoying that 80% of flights due to fly through France from Shannon were cancelled, unlike other airports in Ireland.

Should the EU not demand something be done to stop this disruption?

Jhcx

Why is flying around French airspace not an option?

PukkaStukka

Carnacalla wrote: »

No the Aircraft will be sitting in Shannon all day, operating 1 flight. I also find it annoying that 80% of flights due to fly through France from Shannon were cancelled, unlike other airports in Ireland.

Should the EU not demand something be done to stop this disruption?

If the A/C is in position, why can't it fly? The destination airport is not in dispute. Doesn't seem right, perpaps there is a bona fide reason we are not aware of?

As regards EU stepping in to stop distruption, that won't happen. Speaking as someone who has suffered the misfortune of being on strike himself, being involved in a dispute is not something I enjoyed nor would recommend. Having said that, in extreme situations, a strike can be the only outcome if both sides end up in otherwise intractable positions. I don't know how the French situation has reached where it is, and I don't want to generalise about the French being predisposed to militant action, but where the French controllers are now may not necessarily be where they set out to be. And not wishing to in anyway condone this strike, I have to say that in this day and age, nobody goes on strike lightly or for fun.

JCX BXC

PukkaStukka wrote: »

If the A/C is in position, why can't it fly? The destination airport is not in dispute. Doesn't seem right, perpaps there is a bona fide reason we are not aware of?

Its due to not being able to fly over French airspace. I've been caught In a delayed flight due to a French ATC strike. There are only so many slots in French airspace, so you must hope to get a slot.

PukkaStukka

A quick look on FR still shows plenty of activity in French airspace at the mo. Strange, I would have thought it would be almost empty

PinOnTheRight

PukkaStukka wrote: »

A quick look on FR still shows plenty of activity in French airspace at the mo. Strange, I would have thought it would be almost empty

Nowhere near the amount of normal traffic.

JCX BXC

PukkaStukka wrote: »

A quick look on FR still shows plenty of activity in French airspace at the mo. Strange, I would have thought it would be almost empty

Airlines have been asked to cancel at least 40% of their flights. Its very quiet bar a few around Paris

Reoil

https://scontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t31.0-8/11082268_878941798811911_423919771170170345_o.jpg

JCX BXC

Why can't all airlines do that so?

PinOnTheRight

Carnacalla wrote: »

Why can't all airlines do that so?

There's limited capacity along that route, and it's already subject to flow restrictions.

Edited to add - that particular route along the T9 airway requires HF radios which not all aircraft are equipped with. As an example, you'll see EZY A320s operating on it but not their A319s.

arubex

I'm sure the airlines have also determined the cost of operating alternative routes, in fuel and time and disruption, versus not flying the service at all.

Since these cancellations are exempt from EU261 compensation it's an easy choice for them.

Contract of carriage only applies when airlines say it does...

jasT1981

Parents stuck in Liverpool today due to disruptions, flight was due to fly at 4.40. Now being told 8.55 at the earliest.

andy_g

arubex wrote: »

Since these cancellations are exempt from EU261 compensation it's an easy choice for them.

Contract of carriage only applies when airlines say it does...

Not true this falls outside the airlines remit of outside of their control.

Blut2

Whatever about flights to France itself being cancelled, I had friends due to fly on this Dub > Faro route today who had it cancelled. How unfortunate is that? It can't have been due to spend too much time in French airspace.

goingnowhere

The route on that map goes through French airspace

If you have a plane with HF radio and a trained crew you can go out further west and dodge French airspace,

a) No every airline/aircraft is fitted
b) Capacity on the routing is limited
c) Takes longer, cost more

XsApollo

I'm due to fly Aer Lingus Dublin to Madrid on the 30th of April.
i know it probably can't be answered but what's the likelyhood of this flight being cancelled?
Or does it have a better chance of not being cancelled for some reason?

Storm 10

Blut2 wrote: »

Whatever about flights to France itself being cancelled, I had friends due to fly on this Dub > Faro route today who had it cancelled. How unfortunate is that? It can't have been due to spend too much time in French airspace.

Knock to Faro went ahead

JCX BXC

Storm 10 wrote: »

Knock to Faro went ahead

No plane went "instead". Ryanair have a schemem of doing things and it cancels the flights with the least passengers

JCX BXC

XsApollo wrote: »

I'm due to fly Aer Lingus Dublin to Madrid on the 30th of April.
i know it probably can't be answered but what's the likelyhood of this flight being cancelled?
Or does it have a better chance of not being cancelled for some reason?

Very unlikely. There is a strike planned but EI have managed to operate every flight not going to France but going through its airspace

XsApollo

Carnacalla wrote: »

Very unlikely. No current strikes planned.

I think there are strikes planned for the 29th April to 2nd of May?

Edit:
I was wondering after reading about planes using the T9 corridor,
Do Aer Lingus have the capability to use that as well?

arubex

andy_g wrote: »

Not true this falls outside the airlines remit of outside of their control.

Yes, hence I said EU261 does not apply.

There are no measures the airline could have taken to avoid this strike occurring.

In the past there have been successful EU261 rulings against airlines which had internal strikes, but obviously not applicable to ATC.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

JCX BXC

Fred Swanson wrote: »

Are they on strike today?

Yes. Less disruption today it seems, (for Irish pax) no flights cancelled from Shannon (4 yesterday) one from cork (none yesterday), unsure about Dublin but it seems like there is less.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

JCX BXC

Id far rather being delayed than cancelled.

Aerohead

Carnacalla wrote: »

No plane went "instead". Ryanair have a schemem of doing things and it cancels the flights with the least passengers

What do you mean by "No plane went" check out Knock Airport departures board, it left with a slight delay


http://www.irelandwestairport.com/

JCX BXC

Aerohead wrote: »

What do you mean by "No plane went" check out Knock Airport departures board, it left with a slight delay


http://www.irelandwestairport.com/

The post previous said that NOC-FAO went instead of DUB-FAO. I said it didn't. Why are you bringing up departures boards?

Storm 10

If your Ryanair flight is cancelled due to the French ATC Strike do you get a refund from the airline, I see on their website you can apply for a full refund if the flight is cancelled not sure if it works though. I am due to fly to Malaga with Ryanair on the 2nd of May which is another strike day.

Fred Swanson

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