Paris Airport Strike Threat Puts Thanksgiving Flights at Risk on 5 November

Five unions representing civil aviation workers and airport ground staff in France filed strike notices covering 5 November 2026 at both Paris-Charles de Gaulle (Roissy) and Paris-Orly airports. The unions involved are FO (covering all DGAC staff, notice filed 29 October), USAC-CGT (the DGAC's largest union), UNSA-UTCAC, SUD Aérien and UNSA Aérien. Notably, the SNCTA — the majority union among air traffic controllers — did not participate, and no strike notice was filed by Air France pilots or cabin crew, limiting but not eliminating the risk of disruption. Under French law, air traffic controllers must declare individual strike participation by noon on the day before the walkout, after which the DGAC assesses staffing per control centre and requests airlines to cut schedules by specific percentages during designated time slots. No official flight reduction requests had been issued as of the afternoon of 4 November. A reference point from a 29 September strike showed the DGAC had requested a 5 % reduction at Charles de Gaulle between 07:00 and 20:00, with cuts of up to 25 % in the evening at Marseille-Provence, while Orly was unaffected. Passengers travelling through Paris on 5 November were advised to monitor their airline's communications closely and check for cancellation or rebooking options.