Warning issued to anyone travelling to Spain, France, or Portugal

Holidaymakers heading to Spain, France, or Portugal this October are being warned to prepare for major travel disruption as French air traffic controllers prepare to walk out in a four-day strike.

The Syndicat national des contrôleurs du trafic aérien (SNCTA), the largest union representing air traffic controllers in France, has confirmed that strike action will begin on the morning of 7 October and continue until the end of night duty on October 10. The dispute centres on pay, with union representatives arguing that salaries have failed to keep pace with inflation.

The strike is expected to cause widespread delays and cancellations, not only for flights operating within France but also for thousands of overflights, planes passing through French airspace en route to destinations such as Spain and Portugal.

This means travellers heading for autumnal breaks in southern Europe could face disruption even if their flights are not scheduled to land in France.

A similar walkout earlier this summer, on 3-4 July, led to the cancellation of more than 1,500 flights, affecting over one million passengers and costing airlines around €120 million (£103 million).

Another strike had originally been planned for September 18 but was postponed following the collapse of Prime Minister François Bayrou's government.

Airlines are already bracing for the impact. Ryanair has issued warnings to passengers and has renewed calls for the European Commission to take action to protect overflights during air traffic control strikes, pointing out that countries such as Spain, Italy, and Greece already have such measures in place.

Passengers are being advised to check the status of their flights with airlines up to 48 hours before departure and to download airline apps for live updates.

Travellers should also prepare for long waits at airports and be aware that rail and coach services may face heavy demand as stranded passengers seek alternative routes.

Pascal de Izaguirre, president of France's aviation lobby group, criticised the decision to strike, describing it as "incomprehensible" given that a new three-year agreement with controllers was signed less than a year ago.

He warned that the scale of disruption this time could prove "even more significant" than in July.

The SNCTA has urged members of another union, UNSA-ICNA, to join the strike. However, UNSA-ICNA has publicly rejected the escalation, accusing SNCTA of inconsistency and undermining credibility.

"By constantly zigzagging between their past signature and their current reversal, the majority union is losing the only thing that matters: credibility. The ICNA doesn't need contradictory promises, but a strong and coherent line of defence," the union said in a statement.

With industrial action due to begin within days, travellers across Europe are being urged to remain vigilant and prepare for the possibility of last-minute changes to their holiday plans.