French air traffic controllers are set to strike for 48 hours Thursday in their latest protest against what they say are deteriorating working conditions in the face of steady growth in the aviation sector.
The controllers, members of the SNCTA union, say the budget of the French aviation regulator should be safeguarded; instead, it argues, decisions over recent years by both the French government and the European commission have led to restrictions in both technical resources and the workforce.
The strike is the second called this year by French controllers and is likely to have a severe effect as the summer holiday season gets underway. The French authorities have asked airlines to cut their frequencies 40% during the dispute.