PARIS, France — November 4, 2026 — Unions representing staff at France’s civil aviation authority and ground workers at French airports have called a strike for Thursday, November 5, as part of a wider national day of action. As of Wednesday afternoon, the authorities had not said publicly whether airlines must cut flights at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY).
What happened
- Civil aviation authority staff: the FO union filed a strike notice on October 29 covering all staff of the DGAC (France’s civil aviation authority), the ENAC aviation school and the BEA accident investigation bureau, from the start of the morning shift on November 5. USAC-CGT, the DGAC’s largest union, and UNSA-UTCAC are also calling members out.
- Airport workers: SUD Aérien and UNSA Aérien have called on airport ground handling, security, cleaning and maintenance staff to strike.
- Air traffic controllers: SNCTA, the main controllers’ union, is not taking part. Controllers had to say whether they would strike by noon on Tuesday, November 3.
- Flight cuts: the DGAC was due to tell airlines by Wednesday, November 4 whether they must reduce their schedules, and by how much at which airports. No cut order had been made public in the latest reports checked on Wednesday afternoon.
- Air France crews: no pilot or cabin crew strike notice had been reported as of the end of October.
- Getting to the airport: the rail (SNCF) strike on the same day is expected to disrupt RER B to CDG. RATP buses and Metro line 14 to Orly are expected to run normally.
- Precedent: during a strike on September 29, the DGAC ordered a 5% cut in flights at CDG from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and up to 25% in the evening at Marseille.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Strike date | Thursday, November 5, 2026 (one day) |
| End | TBA |
| Airports | CDG and ORY; other French airports TBA |
| Ordered flight cuts | TBA (decision expected November 4, not yet published) |
| Airlines affected | TBA; any ordered cuts would apply to all carriers at the named airports |
What it means for travelers
- Watch for the cut order. If the DGAC orders cancellations, passengers on cancelled flights will be rebooked onto Wednesday, Thursday and Friday flights, so seats to and from Paris will be tight across those days. Check your flight status late on Wednesday before you leave.
- Think about another hub on Thursday. If you are only connecting through Paris, routing via another European hub that day may be the safer bet.
- Allow extra time on the ground. Handling and security workers are among those called out, so check-in and security lines at CDG and ORY may be longer than usual.
- Carry on. With ground handlers called out, a checked bag is more likely to be delayed or misrouted.
- Plan the ride to CDG. RER B is expected to be disrupted by the rail strike; leave more time or use another way to get to the airport. Orly’s bus and Metro line 14 links are expected to run normally.
Sources
- Sortiraparis — “November 5 airport strike: Flights canceled at Orly and Roissy?” (updated November 4, 2026) — sortiraparis.com
- TourMaG — “Grève 5 novembre : SNCF, aérien, RATP… quelles perturbations dans les transports ?” (November 3, 2026) — tourmag.com
- MisterTravel — “Grève du 5 novembre : le ciel français suspendu aux déclarations des aiguilleurs” (November 3, 2026) — mistertravel.news
- Observ’Algérie — “Grève du 5 novembre en France : les vols vers l’Algérie sont-ils menacés ?” (November 4, 2026) — observalgerie.com
- Connexion France — “What is expected for November 5 strikes in France?” (updated November 3, 2026) — connexionfrance.com
Get the Dynamic Travel News Weekly Recap by email every Sunday
Cruise, hotel, airline and travel-warning news for travelers and customers of Dynamic Travel & Cruises. Free.
ADVERTISEMENT
