The General Directorate of Civil Aviation made this request to the airlines as a preventive measure. Just over 100 flights are expected to be canceled.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Tuesday asked airlines to preventively cancel one in five flights at Orly on Thursday, due to a strike by air traffic controllers as part of the day of mobilization against pension reform. “Airlines must reduce their schedule of flights initially scheduled at Paris-Orly airport by 20% from 5:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on January 19“, according to one “instructions for air missions(NOTAM) published Tuesday afternoon by the DGAC.
The latter, in a press release issued in the process, stressed that “a national interprofessional strike notice in the entire public service and the private sector was filed by several trade unions for the day of Thursday January 19, 2023, in metropolitan France and overseas. This notice was relayed by several unions representing air traffic controllers“.
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Flights to Overseas, many departing from Orly, are not affected by cancellations, in the name of territorial continuity. According to the manager of Orly, Groupe ADP, the airport platform hosted last month some 530 flights on average per day departing or arriving. Just over 100 flights would therefore be canceled on Thursday.
Customers notified
The DGAC adds that “despite these preventive measures, disruptions and delays are nevertheless to be expected“. These preventive cancellations do not in fact prejudge the extent of the disruption of aircraft movements on Thursday, because the companies themselves could be affected by work stoppages, and must communicate their forecasts separately.
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“The DGAC will apply the provisions of the minimum service in the en-route air navigation centers (CRNA) and in the air navigation services of the airports where the regulatory provisions allow it.“, said the administration. At last, “the DGAC invites passengers who can do so to postpone their trip and to inquire with their airline to find out the status of their flight“, according to its press release.
Air France customers affected by flight cancellations will benotified individually by SMS, e-mail or via the application” the company. “Commercial measures (…) allow anticipation or postponement free of charge and, for customers whose flight is canceled, a credit note or a full refund in the event that they no longer travel“.
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