Mais non, say it ain’t so. French air and train services are buckling down in anticipation of heavy delays on Tuesday, caused by one more in a long series of labor actions, and even the ski resorts expect disruptions.
This time, two nationwide strikes against pension reforms are being planned in one week, on February 7 and 11. They are expected to shut down one out of every four Eurostar trains to London and half the domestic high-speed rail lines, rail operator SNCF said, causing severe disruptions. The Paris metro system also is expected to be targeted.
Meanwhile, the civil aviation authority asked airlines to cancel 20% of flights out of Paris Orly airport and cautioned travelers to expect delays and disruptions on the rest.
Ryanair has canceled a “small number” of its flights, and called for the European Commission to intervene and allow air traffic controllers from other countries to manage flights over France. EasyJet also warned that flights to and from France, as well as those flying in French airspace, could be affected, noting that 65% of its flights operate through French air space.
This is the third national strike since the government announced a plan to raise the pension eligibility age to 64 from the current 62. More than a million workers took part in the demonstrations on January 31, when Air France was forced to cancel one out of every 10 short- and medium-haul flights, and many long-distance TGV trains were canceled.
Forbes.com on Monday suggested that “anyone planning to travel in and across France this week should plan longer for journeys and think about alternative routes—if they travel at all.
