Strike by French air traffic controllers causes flight delays and cancellations

PARIS (AP) — A strike by French air traffic controllers seeking better working conditions brought chaos at the height of Europe’s summer travel season after around 40% of flights to and from Paris were canceled on Friday.

Disruptions started hitting airports across France on Thursday. These intensified Friday as the national civil aviation authority asked airlines to cancel 40% of flights at Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Beauvais airports serving Paris, half of flights in Nice and 30% of flights in Marseille, Lyon and some other cities.

Despite the preventive cancelations, the authority warned in a statement that ″disruptions and long delays are to be expected at all French airports.”

Paris airports' departure boards were showing a long list of flight delays and cancellations for destinations across France, Europe, North Africa and beyond.

Ryanair was among the airlines that announced widespread disruptions, saying in a statement that it had canceled more than 400 flights affecting 70,000 passengers. The company said the strike affects all its flights over French airspace as well as traffic in and out of French airports, and urged the European Union to reform air traffic rules.

One of the two unions leading the strike, UNSA-ICNA, said in a statement there are not enough employees to handle surging air travel and that inflation is eating away at salaries. The unions are also protesting new reform measures aiming to more tightly monitor their work, prompted by a near-collision at the Bordeaux airport.

Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot called the unions' demands — and their decision to strike just as French schools close for the summer and many families head on vacation — ″unacceptable.″

Mariano Mignola, from Naples, Italy, travelling with his wife and children, had his flight back from Paris cancelled. “Last night, when we checked in, we realized something was wrong. We went to the airport’s website and discovered the sad news," he said. “We came here hoping to find a solution, that the company would provide us with accommodation. But instead, nothing.”

“We have to do everything on our own, but it’s impossible” in the midst of holiday departures, Mignola said. "There’s nothing available, not even a car to drive back.”

Parisian Patrick Haus had planned to attend a meeting in Nice, in southern France, but his flight was cancelled. "In a way, I stand in solidarity with the strikers. It’s important to know that people don’t strike for fun,” he said.

Associated Press writers Angela Charlton and Sylvie Corbet contributed to the story.

A worker walks on the tarmac at the Saint-Exupery airport, near Lyon, France, as French air traffic controllers launched a two-day strike to demand better working conditions, Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Passengers look a departures information board at Saint-Exupery airport, near Lyon, as French air traffic controllers launched a two-day strike to demand better working conditions, Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Passengers look a departures information board at Saint-Exupery airport, near Lyon, as French air traffic controllers launched a two-day strike to demand better working conditions, Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Passengers look a departures information board at Orly airport, near Paris, as French air traffic controllers launched a two-day strike to demand better working conditions, Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

A departures information board is seen at Orly airport, near Paris, as French air traffic controllers launched a two-day strike to demand better working conditions, Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

FILE -Air France planes sit on the tarmac at Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport, north of Paris, Sept. 16, 2022. . (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Brayden Schenn scored the game-winning goal at 18:27 of the third period, leading the St. Louis Blues to a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday.

Oskar Sundquist, Justin Faulk and Alexey Toropchenko also scored for the Blues. Joe Hofer recorded 22 saves.

Pavel Dorofeyev, Mark Stone and Keegan Kolesar scored for the Golden Knights, who are 1-5-2 in their last eight games. Vegas has allowed four or more goals in five of those games.

Carter Hart saved 15 shots for Vegas.

Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb sat out with an upper-body injury sustained Wednesday against Nashville, snapping his 298 consecutive games played. It was the 10th-longest active streak.

St. Louis scored two goals in 58 seconds of the second period for a 3-1 lead. Faulk scored on a wrist shot from the right circle goal at 5:39 and Sundqvist on a snap shot at 6:37.

Vegas cut it to 3-2 on a goal by Stone and tied it at 3 on Dorofeyev’s goal at 8:29 of the third period.

Each team scored a goal in the first period. Vegas went up 1-0 at 10:12 on a goal by Kolesar, his first goal this season.

St. Louis tied it just 27 seconds later when Toropchenko scored on a rebound of his shot.

The Blues were awarded a penalty shot at 3:44 when Noah Hanifin slashed Jordan Kyrou on a breakaway. Kyrou skated into the slot but was thwarted by Hart’s glove save.

Jack Eichel, who had been out with a lower body injury, returned to play for Vegas after missing seven consecutive games He is two assists away from 400 in his career.

Golden Knights: Will play Sunday night in Chicago.

Blues: Host Montreal on Saturday afternoon.

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Vegas Golden Knights' Ben Hutton (17) passes as St. Louis Blues' Brayden Schenn (10) watches during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

St. Louis Blues' Justin Faulk (72) celebrates after scoring during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Vegas Golden Knights Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

St. Louis Blues' Brayden Schenn (10) scores past Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) and Ivan Barbashev (49) as teammate Jimmy Snuggerud (21) watches during the third period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

St. Louis Blues' Brayden Schenn (10) and Vegas Golden Knights' Ben Hutton (17) battle for a loose puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

St. Louis Blues' Otto Stenberg (28) and Vegas Golden Knights' Brett Howden (21) chase after a loose puck along the boards during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)