France Faces Strike Setback Ahead of Peak Travel Season

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] As countries around the world ease their COVID-19 quarantine policies, global travel demand is surging, but the representative tourist destination Paris, France, is facing the adverse effect of a 'strike.'

On the 30th (local time), Bloomberg reported that employees at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in France are planning a weekend strike, and a nationwide railway strike is imminent next week.

The French civil aviation authority ordered the suspension of 17% of flights between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. that day after wage negotiations between the airport operator A?roport de Paris union and management failed to reach an agreement. As a result, the largest airline, Air France, had to cancel 64 flights.

The biggest point of contention is wage and labor condition negotiations. The recent intensification of inflation is making the negotiations more difficult. The Charles de Gaulle Airport labor union stated, "Despite the resumption of air traffic and the generation of profits, our work is not receiving fair compensation," and added, "Everything except our wages is rising." At major airports near Paris, about 25% of flights were canceled on the 9th as well.

Meanwhile, the aviation industry suffered significant damage over the past two years due to strengthened quarantine policies worldwide amid the spread of COVID-19. However, with most restrictions recently lifted, travel demand is rapidly recovering globally, including in Europe.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.