November 5 airport strike: Flights canceled at Orly and Roissy?

The Thursday, November 5, 2026, strike is not limited to trains. At the call of several unions representing the Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGAC) and airport staff, air travel is also affected, from Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle in Roissy (Val-d’Oise) to Paris-Orly (Val-de-Marne). The key decision comes this Wednesday, November 4: the DGAC must tell airlines whether they need to scale back their flight schedules.

As of Tuesday afternoon, no request for a reduction had yet been made public, according to MisterTravel. Here’s what we know on Wednesday morning.

Who is calling for a strike in the aviation sector?

FO filed strike notice as early as October 29, covering all staff at the DGAC, the École nationale de l’aviation civile and the Bureau d’enquêtes et d’analyses, starting Thursday morning, reports TourMaG. The USAC-CGT, the DGAC’s largest union, has called on its members to join the action, as has the UNSA-UTCAC.

At airports, SUD Aérien and UNSA Aérien are also calling on airport workers to walk off the job, including ground handling, security, cleaning and maintenance staff. This could mean longer waits at check-in or security, even if your flight is still operating.

Important point: the SNCTA, the majority union representing air traffic controllers, is not taking part in the strike, Volclaim notes. No strike notice from Air France pilots or crew was known by the end of October, according to Actu Alt Plus.

How does the DGAC decide which flights to cancel?

Air traffic controllers had until noon on Tuesday, November 3, to declare individually that they were on strike. The DGAC uses these declarations to check, center by center, whether there will be enough staff to handle air traffic.

If that is not the case, it asks airlines to reduce their flights at certain airports by setting a percentage and a time slot. The airlines then decide which flights to cancel and notify their passengers.

The previous strike on September 29 gives an idea of the potential scale. At the time, the DGAC had asked airlines to reduce flights at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle by 5% between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., and by as much as 25% in the evening at Marseille-Provence, Deep Arrival reports. Orly was unaffected. Flights overflying France, bound for Spain, Portugal or the United Kingdom, may also be delayed.

• To be read
• The best things to do in Paris and Île-de-France from November 2 to 8, 2026

How can you get to Roissy and Orly on Thursday?

That’s another headache today. The RER B, the main rail link to Charles-de-Gaulle Airport, is expected to be disrupted because of the November 5 SNCF strike. On weekdays, it is also suspended in the evening from 10:45 p.m. between Châtelet–Les Halles and the airport for maintenance work. The Roissybus service from Opéra, and bus routes 350 and 351, remain alternatives, with RATP expecting its buses to run normally.

For Orly, Metro line 14 should run as normal, as the RATP has not filed a specific strike notice for the Metro on Thursday. Our practical guides to getting to Charles de Gaulle Airport and Orly Airport cover all the options, including taxis.

In any case, it’s best to set off earlier than usual and check traffic conditions in our metro, RER and train traffic update, updated daily.

Flight canceled: What are your rights?

Whatever the reason for the cancellation, the airline must offer you a refund or rerouting on another flight, as well as assistance (meals and, if necessary, a hotel) if the wait is prolonged. Be sure to keep your receipts.

The fixed compensation of €250 to €600, meanwhile, depends on who is striking. When the DGAC imposes flight reductions or airport staff walk off the job, this generally counts as “extraordinary circumstances,” and compensation is not due. It is due, however, if the airline’s own employees are on strike. For a package holiday, passengers should first contact their tour operator.

What should you do if you’re flying on Thursday?

The best course of action is to keep an eye on your airline’s emails and app from Wednesday evening, then check your flight status on the Paris Aéroport website on Thursday morning. If your travel plans are flexible, moving your flight to Wednesday or Friday could help you avoid any nasty surprises.

For the rest of the day (trains, the metro, schools, the demonstration), see our article on the general strike on November 5, 2026. This article will be updated as soon as the DGAC makes an announcement.