SNCTA strike notice at the end of January: how the strike is affecting civil-military coordination, air traffic control, and European air traffic flows, without halting missions.
In summary
A strike notice by air traffic controllers, even if limited in time, does not only affect passengers. It changes the way French airspace is “managed.” This airspace is a European crossroads: the DSNA controls more than 3 million flights per year and manages nearly one in three European flights. In this context, coordination between civil and military aviation becomes more sensitive. Sovereignty missions, such as air traffic control and deterrence, do not stop. But they must coexist with reduced control capacity, arbitrated priorities, and more restrictive flow management. The result is rarely spectacular, but very concrete: more constraints, fewer margins, and pressure shifting to airspace and flow management units in France and at EUROCONTROL. This is a technical issue. It is also political, as it brings into play social rights, business continuity, and the safety of one of the busiest airspaces in Europe.
Strikes as a variable in air sovereignty
Let’s be clear. A strike by air traffic controllers does not prevent France from exercising its sovereignty. It prevents France from doing “business as usual.” And that is already a lot.
In the collective imagination, a social movement in air traffic control boils down to canceled flights. In reality, air traffic control is a safety infrastructure. When its capacity declines, the state must make trade-offs. These trade-offs are rarely visible, but they exist: which flows to prioritize, which military zones to activate or reduce, which routes to open, which slots to delay.
The key issue at the end of January is less the absolute volume of traffic (winter) than the rigidity of the ecosystem. French airspace is a necessary passage for some of the North-South and West-East connections in Europe. EUROCONTROL documents that social movements in France can disrupt thousands of flights per day on a continental scale, including overflights. During the French strike on July 3 and 4, 2025, the average impact was approximately 3,713 delayed flights per day (10.7% of flights) and 1,422 cancellations per day (4.7%), affecting more than one million passengers. These figures give an idea of the scale of France’s influence in European airspace.
The mechanics of air traffic control in France: who does what
The DSNA, the control tower for civil aviation… and part of military aviation
In France, civil air navigation is provided by the DSNA, a division of the DGAC. It operates the CRNAs (en route centers), approach services, and a large part of civil aerodrome services. In practice, a large proportion of “routine” military flights (transits, convoys, flight plan training) also pass through the DSNA environment at some point, because they cross shared controlled airspace.
The DSNA itself highlights the scale of its operations: in 2024, it was the leading air navigation service provider in Europe, with more than 3 million flights controlled. It even recorded a peak of 11,632 flights in a single day, a European record according to its annual report. When this system slows down, Europe feels it.
DIRCAM, military air traffic and the interface with civil aviation
On the military side, France has a dedicated organization: DIRCAM (Direction de la circulation aérienne militaire), attached to the Ministry of the Armed Forces. Its role is twofold: to provide air traffic services on military property (air bases, specific areas), and to organize the military use of airspace in coordination with the civilian sector.
DIRCAM is a key player in airspace sharing because it manages and coordinates the use of temporary zones, training routes, and procedures adapted to operational needs. It operates within the framework of French military air traffic rules (RCAM) and in line with civil-military coordination documented at the doctrinal level.
EUROCONTROL, the European level that arbitrates flows
Above the national level is network management. EUROCONTROL, via its Network Manager, coordinates flow management (ATFCM) at the European level. When French capacity drops, the Network Manager imposes regulations, redistributes routes, and “smooths” demand for slots. It is a cold, mathematical, and very efficient mechanism… but one that does not create additional capacity. It merely distributes the shortage.
Civil-military coordination, the real job behind the scenes
The principle of “Flexible Use of Airspace”
France, like its European neighbors, applies the concept of flexible airspace management (FUA). The idea is simple: airspace is not “civilian” or “military” by nature. Its status changes according to needs, time, and situation. In practical terms, this involves units and procedures that activate or deactivate temporary zones and publish the information via operational messages (AUP/UUP) and aeronautical broadcasting.
This point is crucial during strikes. When control capacity decreases, the temptation is to freeze the airspace and reduce complex configurations. However, military activity requires the opposite: short windows, flexible zones, and sometimes late requirements. Coordination becomes more tense.
The spaces and activities that require the most synchronization
Three types of activities create friction when the system is under strain:
- Temporary training or exercise zones, which “eat into” civil airspace, even if they are activated intelligently.
- Highly dynamic profiles (interceptions, rapid deployments), typical of a security posture.
- Trajectories and support systems (in-flight refueling, multi-aircraft integration), which require precise slots and separations.
Under normal circumstances, this can be managed. When capacity is reduced, each configuration becomes more costly in terms of workload.
Sovereignty missions: a special status, but not a magic one
Let’s be frank: nuclear deterrence and air policing cannot be negotiated like a commercial flight. The chains of command and operational control are designed to continue. But they still depend on safe airspace and reliable information. Sovereignty does not override physics or safety.
In practice, when faced with severe constraints, we generally see a compensatory effect: critical missions are protected and the rest is scaled back. This “rest” often consists of routine activities, non-priority training, or repositioning that can be postponed. This results in less flexibility, not a complete shutdown.
The concrete effects of industrial action on French airspace
Minimum service reduces capacity, not risk
In France, air traffic control applies continuity measures and minimum service levels. But minimum service means minimum capacity, not normal capacity. The direct consequence is an increase in regulations and slots, and therefore a reduction in the number of flights accepted per hour in certain sectors.
For civil aviation, the effect is well known: preventive cancellations, delays, diversions, and penalized overflights. EUROCONTROL data for July 2025 illustrates this mechanism on a large scale: several thousand flights delayed and more than a thousand canceled per day of strike action, with a domino effect on the punctuality of the network.
Military coordination becomes more “cumbersome” and restrictive
On the military side, the impact is indirect but real:
- Flight plan filings and slots become more sensitive.
- Temporary zone activations may be reduced, shortened, or moved to limit complexity.
- Certain training activities may be rescheduled to avoid critical times and sectors.
- Civil-military co-activity requires more human coordination, at a time when control staff are under pressure.
This is not spectacular. But it is a loss of operational flexibility, and therefore a cost. An air traffic control system that “holds up” is also measured by its ability to absorb the unexpected. A strike reduces precisely this absorption capacity.
Europe pays the price for France’s centrality
There is no debate here: France is a hub. Its airspace is on the route of many flows that simply cross the country. When French capacity drops, alternative routes become congested, flight times increase, fuel consumption follows suit, and punctuality collapses in a cascade effect.
EUROCONTROL has also shown, in other episodes, that social movements in France can impact a very significant proportion of European flights. This is not an opinion. It is a network fact: a central bottleneck disrupts the whole.
Who really “oversees” things, and why the answer is not simple
The question “who ultimately oversees things” calls for a nuanced response.
- The DSNA is responsible for the operation of civil air navigation services in France and bears the associated safety responsibility within its scope.
- DIRCAM organizes and provides military air traffic services and manages part of the space and coordination architecture on the military side.
- EUROCONTROL Network Manager oversees the consistency of the European network, but does not replace a national service provider. It regulates traffic flows, it does not control aircraft.
In short, no one is in sole command. Everything is based on rules, coordination, and interfaces. Under normal circumstances, this model is robust. In times of social crisis, however, it becomes a constrained system, with each player defending a legitimate priority: safety, continuity, sovereignty, or the economy.
The sticking points that are likely to return, even after the strike
We can hope that a social movement at the end of January will be avoided, shortened, or contained. But the underlying issue remains.
First reality: French air navigation carries a disproportionate European burden. The DSNA itself points out that it controls a major fraction of flights in Europe. As long as this centrality exists, every social tension becomes a European issue.
The second reality is that civil-military coexistence is becoming increasingly demanding. Geopolitical constraints, the closure of airspace in the East, and traffic density are already pushing the system to its limits. Adding a reduction in capacity, even a temporary one, means reducing the margin.
The third reality is that the public debate oversimplifies the issue. To say that “the military takes precedence no matter what” is false. To say that “the strike brings sovereignty to a halt” is also false. The truth lies somewhere in between: missions continue, but the coordination architecture becomes more fragile, more costly, and more restrictive.
And this is precisely what should interest the reader: what is not visible, but what holds the whole thing together.
Sources
EUROCONTROL, Impact of the French ATC strike of July 3 & 4, 2025 on European Aviation, July 10, 2025
EUROCONTROL, Impact of ATM related strikes on the European ATM network, 2023
DSNA (DGAC), DSNA Annual Report 2024 (published in 2025)
Ministry of the Armed Forces / DSAÉ / DIRCAM, documents and instructions relating to military air traffic (RCAM and DSAÉ-DIRCAM instructions)
IRSEM / CICDE, Joint Doctrine DIA-3.3.5, Airspace Management (doctrinal document)
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