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air traffic control

France’s September 2022 Air Traffic Controller Strike: Cancellations and Passenger Guidance

A look back at France’s September 16, 2022 air traffic controller strike, the reported cancellations, its causes and what affected passengers were told to do.

By TheFinanceBase Team 3 min read
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The headline refers to a one-day French air traffic controllers’ strike on September 16, 2022—not a current travel alert. France’s civil aviation authority, the DGAC, asked airlines to cut schedules by half, and Euronews later reported more than 1,000 cancellations. Disruption affected flights to and from France and some flights crossing French airspace.

What happened on September 16, 2022?

The walkout was scheduled to run from 06:00 on Friday, September 16, until 06:00 on Saturday, September 17. Ahead of it, the DGAC asked airlines to halve their flight schedules. The action was called by SNCTA, France’s national air traffic controllers’ union. Euronews reported the schedule reduction and strike timing.

This is a historical event. It should not be mistaken for a current strike notice or for later French industrial action, including a separate controller strike in July 2025 documented by EUROCONTROL.

How many flights were cancelled?

Euronews reported more than 1,000 cancellations during the strike, but the airline figures it cited were announcements reported at the time, not a single audited tally. The counts also differ in scope: some describe a share of an airline’s short- and medium-haul schedule, while others are absolute flight counts.

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Airline or report Reported impact
Air France Air France said it cancelled 55% of its short- and medium-haul flights and 10% of its long-haul flights, according to Euronews.
Ryanair Ryanair said it cancelled 420 flights, affecting 80,000 passengers, as reported by Euronews. The Irish Examiner, carrying Reuters reporting, separately described more than 400 Ryanair cancellations across Europe.
Transavia The airline announced 140 cancellations, according to Euronews.
British Airways The airline planned 22 cancellations, according to Euronews.
easyJet Euronews, citing French outlet The Local, reported hundreds of cancellations; an exact count was not stated in that report.
Aer Lingus The airline cancelled 12 flights scheduled for September 16 on routes between Dublin and French airports, according to the Irish Examiner/Reuters report.

These figures should not be added together as though they share a common geographic scope or counting method. Airline totals could include different routes and time windows, and the reports do not establish a consistent carrier-by-carrier dataset.

Why were air traffic controllers striking?

SNCTA cited inflation’s effect on pay, demands for wage increases, working conditions, and the need to recruit for future staffing needs. The union said one third of the air traffic control workforce would retire between 2029 and 2035; that was the union’s projection, not an independently verified workforce statistic. Euronews quoted the union’s explanation.

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SNCTA also announced three additional strike days for September 28, 29, and 30, 2022. The available reporting cited here does not establish what happened on those later dates.

Could flights over France be disrupted?

Yes. Schedule cuts applied to flights at French airports, but aircraft crossing French airspace could also be affected even when neither their origin nor destination was in France. The DGAC was reported to be coordinating with Eurocontrol to help airlines route around French airspace; that did not mean every overflight was cancelled. Euronews described the possible overflight disruption and rerouting effort.

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What should passengers do if a flight is cancelled?

For the September 2022 event, the DGAC warned that significant delays and cancellations were expected and invited passengers who could do so to postpone travel. Air France and easyJet planned to contact affected customers; other travelers were advised to contact their airline and check their individual flight status. Euronews reproduced the DGAC guidance.

The same contemporaneous report said passengers whose flights were cancelled were likely entitled to a refund or a seat on another flight. That is not a complete determination of an individual passenger’s rights, which may depend on the circumstances and applicable rules. Anyone dealing with a cancellation should use the airline’s current instructions and consult the relevant passenger-rights authority for their route.

Because this strike took place in 2022, its notices and cancellation figures cannot establish the status of a flight today. Current travelers should rely on up-to-date airline notices and flight-status information.

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