By Lynn Love

Copyright dailyrecord

UK holidaymakers are being warned they may face major travel delays in France this month after air traffic control staff announced their biggest strike in years. On Thursday, September 18, the SNCTA union, which represents 80% of French controllers, will stage a 24-hour walkout in protest against government budget cuts and stalled wage talks. The action will bring much of French airspace to a standstill, disrupting almost 200 UK flights. Experts at AirAdvisor , one of the world’s leading air passenger rights companies, have analysed the full scale of impact on UK passengers and said Glasgow and Edinburgh are amongst the affected airports. Anton Radchenko, Aviation Expert & Founder of AirAdvisor , said: “What worries me most about this strike is not just the cancellations we’ll see on the day, but the knock-on effects that travellers rarely anticipate. “When French controllers walk out, planes and crews are left out of position, and that creates rolling disruption for 24 to 48 hours afterwards. So even if your ticket says September 19 or 20, you should assume a higher risk of delay or cancellation! Anton is encouraging UK travellers to plan ahead to minimise disruptions. He added, “For British passengers, the smart move is to prepare in advance. If you must fly to or over France, consider early morning departures, as they are historically 20-25% less likely to be disrupted because the day’s backlog has not yet built up. “Keep a second option ready: hold a refundable or flexible booking via Amsterdam or Frankfurt, or even look at Eurostar for short-haul connections. And document everything: boarding passes, delay notices, and even screenshots of airline apps. ” Based on previous French ATC strikes, AirAdvisor expects a 50% disruption rate, which means nearly 200 flights to and from the UK will be disrupted, affecting 36,000 passengers. However, passengers should keep in mind that this is the lower limit, and the disruption rate can grow as ATC strikes hit right at the backbone of air travel Passengers will reportedly not be able to claim compensation as ATC strikes are classified as ‘extraordinary circumstances’ under EU/UK 261 regulation. Despite that, airlines owe free care in the form of meals, accommodation, and transportation. So, make sure you get that. Anton said travellers should prepare for lingering disruption for up to 48 hours even after the official strike ends, as aircraft and crew are displaced throughout Europe. British holidaymakers were also recently advised to familiarise themselves with the specific rules at each airport they travel through due to varying security policies. Those flying out of the UK should be aware that not all airports have yet installed CT scanners at security checks. These scanners allow passengers to keep liquids and electronics in their luggage, a departure from previous rules where liquids were limited to 100ml and had to be placed in a clear plastic bag, while electrical items had to be removed and scanned separately. However, not all airports have adopted the new systems, so the old rules still apply in many places.