Strike action forces KM Malta Airlines to cancel Saturday’s Paris Orly flights

KM Malta Airlines on Friday (today) announced that it has cancelled its flights to and from Paris Orly Airport scheduled for Saturday 25th May 2024 due to an air traffic control (ATC) strike.

Flights KM466, scheduled for departure from Malta at 5.10pm, together with the return flight, KMM467, scheduled for 8.55pm, have both been cancelled.

The airline said that passengers booked on these flights have been automatically rebooked on alternative flights to and from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport “to ensure they reach their destination on the same day.”

Affected passengers have been transferred to KM3466 operating between Malta and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport departing at 5.10pm local time, and to KM3467 operating between Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport departing at 8.55pm local time.

Customers who have booked their flight directly with KM Malta Airlines and who prefer a monetary refund can apply through an online form. For bookings made through a travel agent, passengers can contact their agent to initiate a refund request on their behalf.

“KM Malta Airlines sincerely apologises for this inconvenience beyond the airline’s control,” the airline added.

On Friday, France’s Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) requested airline operators to cancel 70 per cent of flights to or from Paris Orly, the second-busiest airport in the country. Action by air traffic controllers will take place from 4am to 9.30pm at the airport, with other airports unlikely to be affected.

This comes just a month after airlines, including KM Malta Airlines, were forced to cancel flights operating at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Paris Orly due to a national ATC strike in France.

The main ATC union, the SNCTA, accepted last-minute negotiations last month, cancelling two proposed days of strike action by its members. However, UNSA-ICNA and USAC-CGT, the second and third-largest unions, rejected these talks, prompting strike action to go ahead in April. Members from the first union are striking on Saturday.

UNSA-ICNA stated that staffing levels at Paris Orly were still inadequate, stating that managers at the airport “continue their penny-pinching and shopkeeper accounts” which will lead to teams being understaffed.

The April strike prompted the cancellations of thousands of flights in France and across Europe.