Member Article

French air traffic controllers strike: Easyjet cancels almost 600 flights

Easyjet has cancelled nearly 600 flights following the second day of strike action by French air traffic controllers.

The budget airline failed to operate 331 flights after cancelling 248 on Wednesday, but it has announced plans to operate five ‘rescue’ flights on Friday to help passengers who are stranded in European cities after Easter breaks.

The additional flights will run from Luton to Paris, Paris to Barcelona, Barcelona to Luton, Gatwick to Madrid, and Marrakech to Gatwick.

The budget airline cancelled 584 flights - 248 on Wednesday and 336 yesterday - after the strike affected large parts of airspace over France.

Today’s extra flights will run to and from Gatwick, Luton, Madrid, Paris, Barcelona and Marrakech alongside the 1,436 normally run by easyJet on the busy Friday in the Easter break.

EasyJet disruptions manager Gill Lucas said last night: “The slot delays through French airspace haven’t really improved.

“In some cases we’ve been set for on time departures and then we’ve suddenly had three or four-hour slot delays thrown at us.”

According the The Independent, British Airways has cancelled 26 flights so far, mostly from Heathrow to destinations in France, and Air France is encouraging customers to rebook for after the strike has finished, having 118 flights, including 10 to the UK. Ryan Air has also cancelled around 558 flights.

The 48-hour strike,against government cuts, which is being led by the SNTCA union, disrupted 2,000 flights both in and out of France yesterday, and even more on Wednesday.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .