How to prepare for a possible strike by air traffic controllers

Traveling from where?

If you're traveling from the US, you likely won't be impacted at all. Usually, the strikes only impact flights within Europe.

Usually.

Thanks, everyone for your help. My fingers are crossed!

I also am scheduled to arrive that day in Paris. Airline states there’s nothing to do unless it’s cancelled. I’ve been looking at other flights but they are really full. Paid for premium economy so not sure what happens if unable to get if rebooked. Guess it’s a waiting game but so disappointing and stressful!!

According to the air transport organization in France, the air traffic controllers' strike on Thursday April 25 will have an impact of 65% flight cancellations at Roissy CDG and 75% at Orly.

The French press announces a major strike.

Yes, unfortunately this one looks bigger than most we have seen the last few years (air-traffic-control-wise).

Usually I would feel pretty safe telling you that transatlantic flights like between France and US or Canada are unlikely to be affected -- but I can't comfortably say that this time.

All you can do is keep your eyes open for notifications / info from your carrier.

I got this notice this morning from a news source called The Local:

" French air traffic controllers have called off a strike that was set to cause 'massive' disruption on Thursday, after reaching a last-minute deal with managers.
The SNCTA union had called a 24-hour strike on Thursday, April 25th in a dispute over changes to working patterns."

I sure hope this is true! Thanks to everyone for their help with this.

It’s as Calvados said. Or, as my sister-in-law did this week: fly two days earlier. There was no charge for changing her ticket and she wasn’t going to wait to see if they would settle or strike.

Cass, unfortunately, as usual, The Local isn't very precise in their "reporting."

Yes, today late morning, the SNCTA union, which has the biggest presence among French air traffic controllers, withdrew its strike notice for tomorrow.

However, that doesn't mean that everything will be back to normal tomorrow.

There are two main reasons for this:

First of all, the smaller unions have not withdrawn their strike notice.

Second, and most importantly, since the strike was already slated to start within 24 hours, the French civil aviation authority had already directed airlines to cancel huge percentages of flights. It is unclear how much elasticity there is in the system that would allow airlines to re-instate flights (with pilots, on-air personnel and ground crews) that they had planned to cancel due to the strike.

Things will be better tomorrow than might have otherwise been, but I don't know by how much.

After the withdrawal of the SNCTA strike notice, and given that it is too late to reschedule the flights canceled by the companies, a notification was sent to the airlines:

75% of flights at Orly will be canceled

55% in Roissy CDG

65% in Marseille-Provence

And 45% in other airports

It's looking like the flight is on schedule! Thanks again, everyone, for your support.

Glad that your flight is on schedule. Hopefully everything else for your trip will go smoothly !

I was at Heathrow this morning, and every single flight to Paris was canceled except for one that was scheduled to leave at 6:15 AM.

Unfortunately, my trip back to MSP on Delta was also canceled. I don’t know if it had anything to do with the strike or not, as Delta did not give me any information. Luckily I found a wonderful KLM gate agent who took it upon herself to rebook me on another Delta flight leaving later this afternoon. Unfortunately, I lost my comfort+ seat, but at least I’m in an aisle seat in a 2-seater section.

Oh Mardee ! I am sorry to hear you had some juggling today. So glad they rebooked you and hope you will get home without too much extra pain (and without that special seat!).