companies called to cancel 70% of their flights scheduled at Paris-Orly this weekend

The General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) asked airlines on Friday 24 to preventively cancel 70% of flights at Paris-Orly on Saturday, due to the call for a strike this weekend by one of the main air traffic controllers unions disagree with an agreement reached last month.

A “70% discount” flights are requested from air operators for Sunday May 26, announces a “notice for air missions” (NOTAM) published by the DGAC. Earlier in the day, the DGAC had already asked companies to cancel 70% of their flights scheduled at Orly for Saturday. Unsa-Icna, the second representative union of air traffic controllers, called a strike to demand “adequate staffing”according to her not guaranteed by the agreement signed at the end of April between the DGAC and the main controllers’ union, the SNCTA (60% of the votes).

The government deplored this new strike, a month after the signing of a salary agreement with air traffic controllers. “I deplore the behavior of some agents at the local level, who refuse to recognize the legitimacy of a majority agreement and make passengers pay the price. I call on their responsibility”reacted at the beginning of the afternoon the Minister for Transport Patrice Vergriete in a written statement to AFP.