British Airways Cancels Flights Amid French ATC Strikes

DALLAS — British Airways (BA) has canceled 50 short-haul flights due to French air traffic control industrial action happening tomorrow.

"Like other airlines, we've made a small number of schedule adjustments to some of our flights due to French air traffic control industrial action and forecasted bad weather," an airline spokesperson told the British news outlet the Independent.

The British government has also issued a warning to anyone planning a trip to France, stating that strikes and ongoing protests may disrupt flights and travel times. Strikes are taking place across France, including by French Air Traffic Control workers, potentially causing flight delays and cancellations.

British Airways was in contact with affected customers, according to the spokesperson, and the reasons for the cancellations were "beyond our control." Departures to Amsterdam, Hamburg, Nice, Prague, or Zurich. Newcastle, Edinburgh, and Glasgow domestic flights were impacted by the cancelations.

The move comes just days after BA, a subsidiary of Spain's International Airlines Group (IAG), announced that strikes by airport security personnel would cause it to cancel more than 300 flights (5% of its schedule) to and from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) over the Easter holiday.

https://twitter.com/British_Airways/status/1641365603083485184

London Strike Actions

As part of a protracted pay dispute with LHR, Unite union members are scheduled to strike from March 31 through April 9. The airport has proposed a 10% pay increase, but the union claims that this does not account for pay freezes experienced during the pandemic.

Campus security and the security lanes in Terminal 5, which are only used by BA, are both staffed by striking employees.

Expect "some delays" at the airport during the strike, BA tweeted on Thursday.

Featured image: G-LCYG British Airways Embraer ERJ170 ORY/LGBO. Photo: Tony Bordelais/Airways

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