Strike: in airports, how are canceled or maintained flights selected?

Since the beginning of the protest against the pension reform, in mid-January, regular strikes by air traffic controllers have forced the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) to regularly ask companies to reduce their flights from certain airports, provoking cancellations or postponements.

Read also Strikes in the air: why Orly airport is almost always affected by flight cancellations?

If, at the start of the movement, the phenomenon was confined to Paris Orly, where up to a third of short and medium-haul flights are sometimes suspended, it is now spreading to other platforms.

While the tenth day of mobilization results in numerous demonstrations and walkouts all over France on March 28, several flights have been canceled since last Friday.

The DGAC announces that,

,” continues the

Read also Pensions: transport, education, energy… What disruptions to expect this Tuesday, March 28?

The latter are dependent on the “Notam” (for

), these notices sent by the DGAC once it is aware of the rate of strikers in the control towers.

These notices impose on companies a minimum rate of flights to be canceled depending on the days and airports.

It is then up to the carriers to manage to apply the requested reductions to their flight schedules, following their own operational and commercial strategies.

Which flights are canceled first?

“We make sure to reduce the impact for passengers by choosing as a priority and when possible the destinations for which there are several rotations per day or on which alternative travel solutions are possible”, answers Le Figaro the management of

the

. low-cost Transavia, mainly focused on short-haul domestic flights (including Overseas) and medium-haul services to southern Europe and the Maghreb.

Read also Canceled flight: how to get a refund for your plane ticket?

Same story on the side of the management of Air France.

The parent company of Transavia indicates that it refers to three principles to choose which flights to cancel:

• The least full flights, observing the outward and return load factor.

• Flights to destinations where there are the most frequencies, to keep flights to destinations where there are fewer.

• Protect the destinations where there are trade shows and other professional events.

The management of the tricolor company also indicates that it did not have to cancel flights due to its staff strike, but points to social movements by air traffic controllers which go so far as to force certain airports to close for lack of staff.

On the side of the leader in

flights , easyJet, it is indicated to take into account "

we also indicate on the side of the British company.

Are the commercial conditions relaxed?

All the carriers questioned indicate that, since the start of this dispute sequence, flight cancellations have mainly concerned short-haul networks, rarely medium-haul flights, and never long-haul flights.

In the event of cancellation, the carrier sets up an alternative solution for the passengers concerned, and commercial offers.

At Transavia, for example, passengers can refuse the proposed new journey and in this case are reimbursed for their ticket.

Read alsoStrikes: train, plane … How to be sure to get your ticket reimbursed

Within the Air France group, however, we underline a

of these days of repeated strikes, an impact whose figures will be revealed during the presentation of the group’s annual results.