Early-morning travellers at Montpellier-Méditerranée airport on 18 December found departure boards blank after the SNCTA air-traffic-controller union launched a 24-hour walk-out. The Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) responded by shutting the Montpellier area control centre and cancelling all commercial movements at Montpellier, Nîmes and Perpignan, while ordering Lyon-Saint-Exupéry to cut 60 percent of its schedule.
With rail seats sold out ahead of the Christmas rush, regional exporters rerouted cargo via Toulouse and Marseille, and corporate travel teams triggered remote-work contingencies for sales staff. Airlines reminded passengers that EU261 compensation does not apply when strikes are outside their control, but urged travellers to file refund claims promptly.
For passengers whose rerouting suddenly requires fresh travel documents—whether a new Schengen entry or a quick extension—VisaHQ can smooth the process. The agency’s online portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) lets users check the latest consular requirements, book expedited appointments, and arrange secure courier pickup so paperwork keeps moving even when flights do not.
![Southern-France air-traffic strike grounds Montpellier, Nîmes and Perpignan flights]()
At the heart of the dispute are 2025 roster reforms: SNCTA says the DGAC “broke off” negotiations over staffing levels and rest rules. The union has already warned of a broader four-day stoppage in January if talks do not resume—an alarming prospect as France prepares for the 2026 Winter Youth Olympics.
Business-immigration advisers note an indirect impact: third-country nationals making same-day Schengen visa runs via Montpellier will now miss biometric appointments and may need to re-book in Paris or Madrid, adding weeks to permit issuance. Employers are urged to audit January assignment start-dates and update travel-insurance clauses to cover alternative routing.
Government mediators are set to convene both sides next week, but analysts doubt a fast resolution, pointing out that 2025 has already seen ten ATC strike days—double the EU average—undermining France’s reputation for aviation reliability.
With rail seats sold out ahead of the Christmas rush, regional exporters rerouted cargo via Toulouse and Marseille, and corporate travel teams triggered remote-work contingencies for sales staff. Airlines reminded passengers that EU261 compensation does not apply when strikes are outside their control, but urged travellers to file refund claims promptly.
For passengers whose rerouting suddenly requires fresh travel documents—whether a new Schengen entry or a quick extension—VisaHQ can smooth the process. The agency’s online portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) lets users check the latest consular requirements, book expedited appointments, and arrange secure courier pickup so paperwork keeps moving even when flights do not.
At the heart of the dispute are 2025 roster reforms: SNCTA says the DGAC “broke off” negotiations over staffing levels and rest rules. The union has already warned of a broader four-day stoppage in January if talks do not resume—an alarming prospect as France prepares for the 2026 Winter Youth Olympics.
Business-immigration advisers note an indirect impact: third-country nationals making same-day Schengen visa runs via Montpellier will now miss biometric appointments and may need to re-book in Paris or Madrid, adding weeks to permit issuance. Employers are urged to audit January assignment start-dates and update travel-insurance clauses to cover alternative routing.
Government mediators are set to convene both sides next week, but analysts doubt a fast resolution, pointing out that 2025 has already seen ten ATC strike days—double the EU average—undermining France’s reputation for aviation reliability.
