Air cargo seeing little impact from French general strike

A cross-sector general strike in France today appears to be having little impact on air cargo activity, according to several sources contacted by Air Cargo Next . The past couple of months have seen industrial action and mass demonstrations against the raising of the official retirement age in France to 64 from 62 and President Emmanuel Macron ’s decision to go ahead with the change without putting it to a vote in Parliament has led to heightened tensions between the government and labor unions. [caption id="attachment_57134284" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo: Canstock[/caption] Flight schedules at France’s biggest airport, Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), appear to be unaffected by the strike, the Groupe ADP said. Air France KLM Cargo , which has its hub at CDG, confirmed that it is implementing the same embargo measures as on previous strike days. These measures have previously included restrictions on certain categories of shipments, such as live animals in transit or whose destination is CDG; valuables cargo and dangerous good; and limits on the number of pallets arriving on intercontinental flights. It also is canceling a number of trucks to and from CDG. “It remains a troubled situation, of course, but the embargo measures that we announce around strike days are working well,” a spokesperson for the airline said. “The negative consequences for our long-haul cargo operation, on a strike day, can therefore be managed reasonably well.” Shipping carriers weigh in FedEx handles about 300 intercontinental and intraEuropean flights weekly at CDG, according to the company’s website, while DHL ’s hub there can process 38,000 shipments per hour. “We don’t expect any impact on our flights or road-borne services today from the national strikes in France,” a spokesperson for FedEx told Air Cargo Next. “Our team is closely monitoring today’s events, and contingency plans are in place to ensure the continuity of operations.” [caption id="attachment_57065800" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo / DHL[/caption] DHL Express said it was taking all possible measures to limit service disruption and to keep promises to customers. “For the moment, there is no major impact on our operations in France, only few delays to be expected in some areas such as Amiens [Northern France] and several Parisian districts. DHL Express continues to monitor the situation closely,” a spokesperson told Air Cargo Next. In a statement, UPS said: “Labor action impacting the wider transportation sector in France may cause disruption to our service in limited locations. We respect people’s right to express their views and hope for a speedy and mutually beneficial outcome. Contingency plans are in place to minimize any potential service disruption.” Capacity restrictions implemented The French Civil Aviation Authority ( DGAC ) has been warning airlines for several days that jet fuel stocks at CDG and Paris’ second airport, Orly (ORY), are “under strain” from strikers blocking an oil refinery that supplies the two airports. “To avoid any operational problems, all flights to Paris CDG are asked to take the maximum amount of fuel from their airport of origin, within the limits of operational capacities,” the agency said. DGAC also recommended that airlines reduce flights by 30% at ORY Thursday and by 20% at several of the country’s main regional airports: Marseille (MRS), Lyon (LYS) and Toulouse (TLS). “Despite these preventative measures, disruption and delays are to be expected,” DGAC warned. At ORY, capacity restrictions were implemented on Tuesday and Wednesday. In anticipation of the strike continuing beyond Thursday, the DGAC recommends that airlines also reduce flights by 30% at ORY Friday and by 20% at MRS, LYS and Bordeaux (BOD). It also recommends that airlines reduce flights on Saturday by 15% at ORY and by 20% at MRS, BOD and LYS. Meanwhile, a one-day stoppage by workers at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) , Germany’s biggest air hub, is set to take place on March 27 in protest to a pay offer. In a release, the airport’s operating company, Fraport , warned of “massive disruption” to air traffic, adding that “all tasks that enable full flight operations are suspended due to the strike.”

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