Disruptions in the skies, blockades on roads, impediments on railway lines...
The ongoing air transport strike in France, led by the UNSA-ICNA and USAC-CGT unions, has disrupted flights across the country and Europe, causing significant disruptions to travel plans. The strike, which started on July 3rd, is due to demands for better pay, increased staffing, and improved management practices.
According to reports, over 40% of flights were cancelled at Paris airports, with similar numbers at southern and island airports, such as Nice, and regional airports like Marseille and Lyon. Flights passing through French airspace were also affected, not just those landing or departing from France.
The strike has affected tens of thousands of passengers, with Ryanair alone reporting the cancellation of over 400 flights affecting 70,000 passengers. Significant delays were reported, with Nice airport experiencing arrival delays averaging 1.5 hours and departure delays of about 1 hour on July 3rd.
However, there is no evidence or reporting of this air transport strike impacting French roads and trains specifically on July 5th and 6th, 2025. The most recent reports cover the wide-reaching effects of the strike that took place on July 3rd and 4th, leading to major flight disruptions and widespread cancellations across French airports and affecting overflights throughout Europe.
For those planning to travel by road or rail during the summer holidays, it is important to note that the summer holidays typically lead to higher traffic volumes on both roads and trains, but this is a seasonal effect, not directly related to industrial action.
SNCF, the French national railway company, has implemented preventive maintenance actions on the most solicited and sensitive organs of the trains between March and June to ensure smooth operations during the busy summer season. The company expects 1.3 million customers on TGV and Intercity trains for the start of the summer holidays, with 2,400 trains circulating throughout the country during the summer holidays. Nearly 46,000 trains will be at the disposal of clients (in France and Europe) during the summer period.
To help customers during this period, SNCF has deployed 1,500 Information Volunteers (wearing red vests) in train stations across the country. The company has also sold 12 million tickets for the summer of 2025, a slight increase compared to last year.
The preferred destinations of the French for their summer holidays are Bordeaux, Nantes, Lyon, Nice, and Marseille. Bison Futé predicts very dense traffic in the departure direction in Ile-de-France on Friday, particularly on the A10 and A6 motorways, as well as on the A86 and A6b. In Ile-de-France, delays could appear relatively early in the morning until mid-afternoon on the A10 and A6 and A13 on Saturday. On Saturday, France will be classified red in the departure direction from the morning until the evening, with significant congestion expected on the A13, A11, RN165, A10, and A7.
In conclusion, the French air transport strike significantly disrupted flights on July 3–4, 2025, but there is no evidence of continued industrial action or special impact on French road and rail traffic for July 5–6, 2025. Passengers should anticipate typical summer holiday traffic on roads and trains, unrelated to the air traffic strike.
- Despite the disruptions in the air transportation industry due to the ongoing strike, there's no reported impact on the finance sector, as SNCF has implemented preventive maintenance and sold over 12 million tickets for the summer of 2025.
- The ongoing air transport strike in France has not significantly affected lifestyle choices related to travel, as the summer holidays are a seasonal phenomenon that leads to increased traffic on roads and trains, not directly linked to industrial action.
- For those preferring travel by road or rail during the summer holidays, it's crucial to be aware of traffic patterns, as there may be delays on specific highways such as A10, A6, and A86, but these are seasonal effects and not specifically related to the air transport strike.
