Passengers flying with EasyJet this weekend face significant disruption as around 100 flights from France are cancelled on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August. The cancellations come after three cabin crew unions called a strike following the collapse of talks with management over working conditions.
The low-cost British airline said the cancellations were made “as a precautionary measure” to “help passengers organise themselves before departure, notably by offering a free transfer to another flight.” The strike affects EasyJet France operations at multiple airports across the country.
Airports Hit Hardest by the Walkout
According to calculations by local media, 55 flights were cancelled on Saturday alone, spread across five airports:
- 29 at Lyon Saint-Exupéry
- 17 at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle
- 6 at Bordeaux-Mérignac
- 2 at Nice
- 1 at Paris-Orly
A precise count for Sunday was not yet available, as employees had until midnight Friday to declare themselves on strike for that day. The timing coincides with the busy mid-August holiday weekend, a peak travel period in France.
Unions Cite ‘Continuous Deterioration’ of Working Conditions
The inter-union group, comprising SNPNC-FO, UNPNC-CFDT, and UNAC-CFE-CGC, called the strike on Wednesday after negotiations with management failed to yield improvements. The unions had previously filed a strike notice covering the period from 7 August to 2 September, citing a “continuous deterioration” of working conditions.
For months, cabin crew have denounced unstable schedules, last-minute changes, imposed “trippings” (multi-day flight sequences), particularly punishing rotations, and a lack of protective measures. Wiliam Bourdon, secretary of SNPNC-FO, said Brexit had “changed the game” in schedule planning.
“Our colleagues who work in the United Kingdom can no longer operate flights” within the European Union, whereas they could previously lend a hand on the continent, he explained. “The rules no longer allow us to have those exchanges.”
Airline Calls Strike ‘Opportunistic’
EasyJet had urged unions on Wednesday “to renounce this opportunistic action at such an important time of year.” The company says it submitted “adjustment proposals” aimed at addressing union demands and stressed that “negotiations are planned for September.” It argues the strike occurs “outside any formal negotiation process.”
EasyJet is the second-largest airline in France by passenger numbers, behind Air France, operating mainly short- and medium-haul routes. The strike highlights ongoing tensions in the aviation sector over post-Brexit staffing flexibility and crew welfare.
