Air traffic Swiss cancels further flights to France due to strikes
The air traffic controller strike in France also had an impact on Swiss flight operations on Friday. So far, 19 Swiss flights have been canceled. The destinations affected were Nice, Marseille, Montpellier and Paris.
04.07.2025, 11:11
04.07.2025, 12:50
SDA
Due to the air traffic controllers' strike in France, Swiss has so far canceled a total of forty flights, the airline wrote on Friday in response to an inquiry from the Keystone-SDA news agency. There were 21 flights on Thursday and 19 on Friday so far.
Flights between Zurich and Montpellier also had to be canceled on Friday. The strike is also affecting Swiss flights to and from Spain, causing delays. As a result of the strike, "more than 4,500 passengers have had to be rebooked individually".
At Air France, the Paris destination was affected with four flights, as Zurich Airport wrote on request. Passengers affected are still advised to check the status of their flight with their airline.
The strike is also having an impact on Euroairport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, as spokeswoman Manuela Witzig told Keystone-SDA. According to current information, eleven departures and eleven arrivals are expected to be canceled on Friday. On Thursday there were nine and twelve respectively. And on Wednesday, five departures and three arrivals were canceled.
"The situation can change at any time," Witzig continued. Passengers should contact their airline if they have any questions.
Criticism from the French government
In total, around a thousand flights were canceled on Friday due to the strike by French air traffic controllers, slightly more than the day before. French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot sharply criticized the air traffic controllers' strike at the start of the French summer vacations and its impact on travellers.
"You have to realize that 272 people in our country are deciding on the well-being of more than half a million people. This is unacceptable," he told CNews on Friday.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou described the strike on Thursday as "shocking". He accused the striking air traffic controllers of "holding the French hostage".
Forty percent of flights were canceled at both Paris airports. Around 930 flights had already been canceled in France the day before. Flights from other countries that only crossed France by air were also affected by the strike. On Friday, many families who wanted to go on vacation on the last day of school were also likely to be affected.
Airlines for Europe, an association of several airlines, described the strike as "unacceptable" as it is disrupting the vacation plans of people across Europe. The association estimates that there were more than 8,000 hours of delays in total on Thursday.
Protest against understaffing
The two-day strike was called by two air traffic controllers' unions who are demanding better working conditions. Among other things, they are protesting against "understaffing" and "toxic management".
They are also opposing a reform that provides for tighter control of air traffic controllers' working hours. This was introduced after two aircraft almost collided in Bordeaux at the end of 2022. An investigation pointed to a lack of organization on the part of air traffic controllers. According to the French air traffic control authority, the strike rate was 26 percent.
