Last updated: Sunday 18 October 2026. We update this page as the unions and airlines announce changes.
The strike is still suspended. The strike called for French pilots and cabin crew from 17 to 21 October 2026 was suspended on Friday 9 October, after new commitments from the government (SNPNC-FO statement, 9 October; TourMaG, 9 October). The first strike day, Saturday 17 October, came and went without a crew strike: no airline announced strike cancellations, and as of 18 October no union has filed a new notice. Flights to the end of the window on Wednesday 21 October are expected to run as planned.
One thing is still open. The unions suspended the strike on condition that the government publishes a promised decree on the pension rule behind the dispute, and as far as we can find it has not been published yet. SNPNC-FO wrote that the suspension "is not a blank cheque" and that a new notice could follow if the decree is late. Any new strike would now be on dates after 21 October, and crews must declare 48 hours ahead, so you would hear about it at least a day or two before.
The strike at a glance
| Status | Suspended since 9 October 2026; no new notice as of 18 October |
| Dates that were called | Saturday 17 October, 00:01, to Wednesday 21 October 2026, 23:59 (Paris time) |
| Who was called out | Pilots and cabin crew employed under French labor law |
| Unions | UNSA-PNC, SNPNC-FO, SNGAF, SNPL and UNAC |
| Cause | The reform of cumul emploi-retraite (working while drawing a pension), which takes effect on 1 January 2027 |
| What the unions are waiting for | A government decree protecting the crews' pension fund (CRPN); not published as far as we can find |
| Cancellations announced | None |
The original notice: the intersyndical strike notice published by UNSA-PNC and Air Journal, 19 September 2026.
If a new date is called, you will rebook from your phone, often away from the airport Wi-Fi. Living in the EU? Your own plan already works in France at home prices: you need nothing new. Flying in from the UK, the US or Australia? US and Australian carriers charge for every day abroad, and many UK plans have charged for Europe since Brexit (O2 still includes it, up to a 25 GB limit). Our Europe eSIM covers France for $11.99 for 7 days with 1.5 GB a day, and your home number stays on for the airline's texts. Not sure what your plan does? See will my phone work in Europe?
Getting to the airport: watch protest days, not the crew strike
The disruption on 17 October came from the ground, not the cockpit. Saturday was a national day of protest against the cost of living, with 550,000 marchers across France according to the Interior Ministry. Protesters blocked motorways and bridges in several regions, Marseille Saint-Charles station closed for the afternoon, and taxi and ride-hailing drivers joined the march in Paris. On a protest day, leave extra time to reach the airport, and in Paris prefer the RER B to Charles de Gaulle or Orlyval to Orly over the road.
The next national strike day is Thursday 5 November 2026. Its effect on flights is not known yet. For trains, the metro and the protests, see strikes in France this week.
What would bring the strike back
The government's commitments came in three parts: a rewritten ministerial circular, a decision by the board of the crews' pension fund (CRPN) on 9 October that no CRPN pension will be cut for a crew member who keeps working before a first basic pension is drawn, and a decree to make that secure. The decree was expected by mid-October. If it is late or does not say what was agreed, the unions say they may file a new strike notice. We check the unions' sites and the Journal officiel and will update this page the day anything changes.
Who would be affected if it comes back
The notice covered flight crew working for airlines under French labor law. That means French carriers such as Air France, Transavia France and Corsair, at every French airport, including Paris Charles de Gaulle and Orly, Nice, Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse. Crews of other airlines who work on French contracts may also be covered, so check with your airline even if it is not French.
It was a crew strike, not an air traffic control strike. Flights operated by airlines whose crews are not on French contracts would run as normal, although knock-on delays at busy airports are possible.
The Toussaint (All Saints) school holidays run from Saturday 17 October to Monday 2 November 2026 in every zone of mainland France. Flights are full, so there are few spare seats for rebooking if anything goes wrong.
How you would know if your flight is cancelled
French law requires striking airline staff to declare their intention 48 hours before they stop work, so airlines usually confirm reduced schedules one to two days ahead. If a new notice is filed:
- Check your booking in the airline's app or website.
- Make sure the airline has your mobile number and email address, so a cancellation notice reaches you wherever you are.
- Do not go to the airport for a flight shown as cancelled unless your airline tells you to.
Your rights if your flight is cancelled
Under the EU air passenger rights rules (Regulation 261/2004), which cover flights departing from the EU and flights into the EU on EU airlines:
- Refund or rerouting. You choose between a full refund and the next available alternative flight, or a later date that suits you.
- Care. If you are waiting at the airport for a rerouted flight, the airline must provide meals and refreshments, and a hotel if you are stuck overnight.
- Compensation. In 2021 the EU Court of Justice ruled (case C-28/20) that a strike called by an airline's own staff is not normally an "extraordinary circumstance". If your flight is cancelled less than 14 days before departure, you may therefore also be owed compensation of 250 to 600 euros, depending on the distance.
Missing a flight because protesters blocked the road to the airport is different: that is your journey, not the airline's, so the airline owes you nothing. Leave early on protest days, and check whether your travel insurance covers it.
Details and claim forms are on the EU's Your Europe air passenger rights page. Keep your receipts for anything you pay for yourself.
If your flight is cancelled: getting where you need to go
Most rebooking now happens on a phone, often while you are already on the move:
- Rebook in the airline's app. Free changes are usually offered when a strike is announced, and app rebooking is faster than the phone line or the airport desk.
- Switch to the train. For trips within France or to neighboring countries, a TGV can replace a short flight. Book on SNCF Connect. Trains fill quickly during the holidays.
- Check the airport's live information at Paris Aéroport for CDG and Orly, or your departure airport's own site.
Staying connected
Airport Wi-Fi slows down when thousands of passengers are rebooking at once, and you may need to rebook from a train, a taxi or a hotel lobby. Having your own mobile data when you land means cancellation texts, airline app updates and train tickets reach you without hunting for a network. Our airport guides cover the free Wi-Fi and SIM options at Charles de Gaulle and Orly.
A France trip is covered by our Europe eSIM, one plan across 30 countries, which also suits a reroute through another European hub: eSIM for Europe. Install it at home before you fly: check your phone first with the 30-second check.
FAQ
Is the French flight strike of 17 to 21 October 2026 going ahead?
No. The unions suspended it on 9 October 2026, and as of 18 October no new notice has been filed. The suspension depends on the government publishing a promised decree, and the unions say they may call a new strike if it does not.
Were flights cancelled on 17 October?
No airline announced cancellations for the crew strike, which was suspended. The national protest day on 17 October blocked roads and closed some stations, so getting to the airport was the harder part.
Which airlines would the strike have affected?
Airlines whose pilots and cabin crew work under French labor law, such as Air France, Transavia France and Corsair. Crews of other airlines on French contracts could also have been covered.
Could there be a French airline strike later in October or in November?
Only if the unions file a new notice, which they say depends on the promised decree. Striking crew must declare 48 hours ahead, so airlines would confirm any cancellations a day or two before. Thursday 5 November is a national strike day; its effect on flights is not known yet.
Can I get compensation if my flight is cancelled because of a strike?
You are always entitled to a refund or rerouting, and to care while you wait. Because the EU Court of Justice ruled in 2021 that a strike by an airline's own staff is not normally an extraordinary circumstance, compensation of 250 to 600 euros may also be owed if the cancellation is notified less than 14 days before departure.
Was this an air traffic control strike?
No. It was a strike notice for airline crews, not air traffic controllers, so it would have affected the airlines whose crews were called out rather than every flight in French airspace.
Facts checked on 18 October 2026 against the SNPNC-FO and UNSA-PNC sites (no new notice since 9 October), TourMaG and Déplacements Pros on the suspension, the franceinfo and ICI coverage of 17 October, the original strike notice, the French school calendar and the EU's passenger rights pages. Check your airline for the latest schedule.