Is it the start of vacation? Not for everyone, apparently. The General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) has announced that a notice of national strike has been filed by air traffic controller unions – UNSA-ICNA and USAC-CGT – for Thursday, July 3, and Friday, July 4, 2025. So what does this mean? That the number of flights departing from Paris will be significantly reduced.
#Perturbations | Mouvement social du jeudi 3 juillet 2025. pic.twitter.com/jpF6pJl7ZQ
— Direction générale de l'aviation civile 🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@DGAC) July 1, 2025
25% Fewer Flights
Charles-de-Gaulle, Orly, Beauvais – no matter which Paris airport you're flying from, you might be affected. The social movement is expected to lead to a 25% reduction in Paris flights. “Despite these preventive measures, significant disruptions and delays are to be anticipated across all French airports,” the DGAC specifies. With these days being particularly busy for these airports, this strike is likely to impact more than 230,000 daily travelers at Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle and around 120,000 at Orly.
Voir cette publication sur Instagram
Paris isn’t the only city affected by this social movement. On a national scale, this strike is set to cut flights by 30% in Lyon, Montpellier, and Marseille. Over in Nice, Ajaccio, and Figari, we should brace for a 50% reduction.
The denouncement of staff shortages
The two unions particularly lament the lack of staffing in air traffic control positions, which are essential for smooth traffic operation. Due to the absence of a “response to the alerts sent [...] for weeks,” UNSA-ICNA has decided to maintain its call for a strike. The DGAC acknowledged the “difficulties related to the situation of chronic understaffing, which affects the quality of service provided to airlines. It is precisely to address this that they defend”...
An ambitious recruitment plan, part of a multi-year strategy, to ensure a high-performing and secure service ». More details about Friday, July 4, 2025, should be provided this Wednesday, July 2.