French strikes, strikes, strikes

Old May 31, 2016, 11:33 am
  #31  
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Originally Posted by Artpen100
I am primarily concerned about the Civil Aviation strike currently set for this weekend, 3 - 5 June. I have already switched airlines to avoid the pilot strike. But does anyone have an impression based on past experience what impact this may have on long-haul traffic into CDG?
You can read the many threads devoted to French ATC strikes.

Many of them are cancelled at the last minute. When the strike is really hard, airlines are asked to cancel some 50% of their flights. But there can be more last minute cancellations and delays. AF tends to maintain all (most) of its Longhauls and apply the reduction to the shorthauls. Longhauls airlines are affected if they operate several daily flights (e.g. CX has cancelled one of its two daily flights in hard strikes). But if a longhaul flight is scheduled a day before, it will operate. And when a longhaul flight arrives in France, it tends to have priority for landing given its fuel situation.
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Old Jun 1, 2016, 10:46 am
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Strange that I seem to monopolize this thread. But I read that USAC-CGT added a strike on Thusday 2 June (tomorrow). It seems to be the biggest ATC union.
I know because several European airlines already cancelled flights.

AF is currently quite conservative in cancellations, but the number of cancelled flights seem to be increasing:
http://www.airfrance.fr/FR/en/common...air_france.htm
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Old Jun 1, 2016, 12:56 pm
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Will the ATC strike effect flights flying in French air space but not landing in France? My Mrs is flying KL from AMS to BCN on Sunday.
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Old Jun 1, 2016, 1:12 pm
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Originally Posted by brunos
AF is currently quite conservative in cancellations, but the number of cancelled flights seem to be increasing:
http://www.airfrance.fr/FR/en/common...air_france.htm
Thanks for the update. Flying DUS-CDG-IAD tomorrow on AF. Still looks fine atm.

However also flying back on 10-11 June and i noticed that the 2nd AF pilot union is planning to strike around that time:

http://www.franceinfo.fr/fil-info/ar...ebutera-794359

http://www.thelocal.fr/20160601/air-...t-of-euro-2016


One Air France pilots union has called for a two to four day strike to begin on June 11th, the day after the Euro 2016 football tournament begins.

not this September 2014 thingie again pretty please....
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Old Jun 2, 2016, 12:21 am
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Good news. The ATC strike is called off.

Article in French click here

Also, no strike impact on Paris underground or Bus system.

However, only 1/3 of RER B trains to CDG airport. Trains go Only between CDG and Gare du Nord, to go to destinations further South, including the central Paris stops of the RER B line you have to change at Gare du Nord.

Also, national railway system is impacted by strikes, about 60% of long distance high speed trains running.

Last edited by San Gottardo; Jun 2, 2016 at 12:28 am
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Old Jun 2, 2016, 8:09 am
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In the meantime, a pilot strike has become likely. SPAF (25% of the pilots) has called for a strike from 11-14 June, and perhaps more thereafter. They are trying to get SNPL on board as well.

http://fr.reuters.com/article/frEuroRpt/idFRP6N17U00G
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Old Jun 2, 2016, 8:57 am
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Originally Posted by Zembla
In the meantime, a pilot strike has become likely. SPAF (25% of the pilots) has called for a strike from 11-14 June, and perhaps more thereafter. They are trying to get SNPL on board as well.

http://fr.reuters.com/article/frEuroRpt/idFRP6N17U00G
Ugh... I fly into CDG on 11 June with a flight to Croatia scheduled that afternoon... fingers crossed that my Croatian Vacation doesn't become a French one.
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Old Jun 3, 2016, 12:37 pm
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I flew FCO-CDG-IAD yesterday (June 2). AF 026 was preemptively rescheduled from a 5pm departure to 6:15pm. AF sent notice of the schedule change on June 1. We had an additional 30 minute delay for boarding, with little explanation provided (aircraft was at the gate well before boarding). Fortunately for us, the load was pretty light (maybe 1/2 full), and we were able to depart reasonably on time.
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Old Jun 6, 2016, 2:31 am
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Flew into CDG Saturday morning. Everything went smoothly. Though I usually take the train into Paris, I took a taxi this time, and the wait was not too long. I don't notice the metro much different, but I gather the RERs are pretty sporadic.
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Old Jun 6, 2016, 6:37 am
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An announcement has been made by Air France regarding the call from pilot's unions to strike; offers accommodation on earlier or later flights:

http://www.airfrance.us/US/en/common...air_france.htm

Last edited by boeingguy1; Jun 6, 2016 at 7:48 am
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Old Jun 6, 2016, 7:22 am
  #41  
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Originally Posted by boeingguy1
Air France confirms strike, offers accommodation on earlier or later flights:

http://www.airfrance.us/US/en/common...air_france.htm
They don't confirm the strike. They state that negotiations are still going on and that it is too early to tell their outcome. As a precautionary measure they offer to rebook pax a few days before or after the strike at no cost.
Either the strike is cancelled at any time before 11 June, or we will know by June 10 the expected impact of the strike. It would be big as all pilots unions have joined the strike call.
It is clear that the French government is applying huge pressure on AF management to settle and some poster here believes that such a strike during the euro soccer cup is impossible, and he has a case.
I have booked all my European travel on other airlines, just in case.
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Old Jun 6, 2016, 7:47 am
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Originally Posted by brunos
They don't confirm the strike. They state that negotiations are still going on and that it is too early to tell their outcome. As a precautionary measure they offer to rebook pax a few days before or after the strike at no cost.
Either the strike is cancelled at any time before 11 June, or we will know by June 10 the expected impact of the strike. It would be big as all pilots unions have joined the strike call.
It is clear that the French government is applying huge pressure on AF management to settle and some poster here believes that such a strike during the euro soccer cup is impossible, and he has a case.
I have booked all my European travel on other airlines, just in case.
That is correct - I've updated my post to reflect their headline.
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Old Jun 6, 2016, 8:30 am
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Thanks for the heads up!
Called and was able to change my flights without any problems. To make sure i booked on Delta and KLM & am avoiding French airspace.
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Old Jun 6, 2016, 8:53 am
  #44  
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Originally Posted by brunos
It is clear that the French government is applying huge pressure on AF management to settle and some poster here believes that such a strike during the euro soccer cup is impossible, and he has a case.
I have booked all my European travel on other airlines, just in case.
To be clear, what I said was that a strike affecting the free movement of supporters to the matches is virtually impossible. There can still be strikes that don't have an affect on attending matches. So all of French airspace and rail service will not go down, but it's certainly possible that some flights from one particular airline could get cancelled or delayed. Or that the RER or some TER lines don't have 100% service. But still the most likely scenario is no transport-related strikes at all.

The worst case scenario is that there is a big disruption on June 10th or 11th which affects the matches and then the government brings down the hammer. But I think the unions realize how futile and nonproductive that would be. They would be giving the government the excuse to bring in outside forces to run transport which would have all sorts of negative consequences.
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Old Jun 6, 2016, 10:55 am
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So, yeah, this morning at 10am, I book my flight to Tokyo outbound via CDG on the 13th.

This afternoon, at 2pm UK time, Air France post a warning on their website to say that several pilot unions are calling for strikes from 11th-14th.

Yay...
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