French pilot and cabin-crew unions call five-day nationwide strike for October school break
French aviation unions call 5-day nationwide strike for Toussaint holidays
Air France & SNCF extend Train + Air ticketing to all OUIGO high-speed services
Latest News
Fuel shortages hit 16 % of French petrol stations, threatening road travel logistics
Government data released on 21 September show fuel shortages affecting 16 % of French petrol stations, with some regions topping 25 %. Rising crude prices and panic buying are to blame, and the crunch is already delaying relocations and increasing airport-transfer costs. Employers should monitor live fuel-availability maps, issue multi-brand fuel cards and prepare for modal shifts to rail.
French senator presses for simplified long-stay visas for British second-home owners amid wildfire obligations
Senator Lauriane Josende has asked the Interior Ministry to ease France’s visa rules for UK residents who own second homes, arguing they need more than 90 days to meet strict wildfire-prevention clearance deadlines. She proposes a special multi-entry visa or a simplified renewal of the six-month VLS-T permit. The move could revive a 2024 “automatic visa” plan that was struck down on a technicality and would facilitate property maintenance, insurance and local spending by British homeowners.
UK–France ‘one-in, one-out’ returns deal cost £56,000 per migrant, MPs told
UK ministers told MPs that the pilot scheme swapping irregular Channel migrants for screened asylum-seekers has cost £78 million – about £56 000 per migrant returned to France. Paris wants the bilateral deal replaced by an EU mechanism when it expires on 1 October. A cliff-edge end could mean more small-boat departures and tighter border checks, with knock-on effects for freight and business travel.
Senator urges easier visas for UK second-home owners to meet wildfire safety rules
French senator Lauriane Josende wants a streamlined, five-year multi-entry visa for British second-home owners, saying stricter wildfire-prevention rules mean they must visit more often to clear land. The plan would soften current 90/180-day limits and ease administrative burdens, but it must align with EU visa code requirements. Property-owning Britons and mobility managers should track the proposal as it could reshape long-stay planning after Brexit. ([connexionfrance.com](https://www.connexionfrance.com/practical/senator-calls-for-improved-visa-rules-for-second-home-owners-in-france-amid-wildfire-risk/816567))
Calais A16 roadworks close Eurotunnel tourism ramps, sparking cross-Channel detours
Road agency DIR Nord will restrict A16 traffic near Calais from 20–25 September, closing the Eurotunnel tourism terminal ramps (junction 42). Vehicles will be diverted via junctions 40 or 43, adding mileage and time to Channel-tunnel journeys. Businesses moving staff or goods between France and the UK should build extra buffer time and consider alternative ports.
Eurostar warns of network-wide delays in France 21–27 September as track works bite
Eurostar’s 21 September service update forecasts up to 30-minute delays and potential cancellations on French routes between 21 and 27 September due to track works and operational constraints. The operator advises passengers to allow extra time and notes that EU rail-delay compensation rules apply. Business travellers with onward flights or meetings should re-schedule where possible.
Border tech watch: Latest EES data show 75-minute average waits at French airports
Fresh data from monitoring site EESQueue put average EES entry waits at French airports at 75 minutes, with peak lines topping two hours at Paris-CDG. France’s authorised ‘flex-mode’ manual stamping eases but does not eliminate delays, prompting officials to add more kiosks. Mobility managers should extend layover buffers and ensure travellers understand which documents are exempt from biometric capture. ([eesqueue.com](https://eesqueue.com/ees-queue-report))
Video shows new small-boat departure from Berck as France–UK coastal patrols stretched
Reuters footage captured migrants launching a dinghy from Berck on 21 September, highlighting smugglers’ shift to less-patrolled beaches. Each new crossing heightens the risk of emergency security measures that can disrupt freight and passenger flows through the Calais corridor, so businesses should keep contingency routes ready.
EU update confirms France’s internal Schengen border checks to stay until 31 October 2026
An EU Commission dashboard refreshed on 21 September confirms France’s internal Schengen border controls will remain in place until 31 October 2026, citing terrorism, people-smuggling and preparations for the 2027 G7 summit. Business travellers moving between France and neighbouring states must still be prepared for ID checks and sporadic delays at land borders, airports and Eurostar terminals.
Pregnant migrant hospitalised after failed taxi-boat departure at Neufchâtel-Hardelot
A failed small-boat departure at Neufchâtel-Hardelot on 21 September led to a sea-rescue and the hospitalisation of a pregnant Somali woman. The rise of so-called ‘taxi-boats’ complicates enforcement and can prompt sudden coastal closures that disrupt local travel and events.
UK air-traffic control glitch cancels flights to Disneyland-bound families and French business travellers
A new technical failure at the UK’s Prestwick ATC centre on 21 September forced more than 200 flight cancellations, including services from Scotland and northern England to French airports. The episode exposed vulnerabilities in Franco-British itineraries and may lead companies to build in wider connection buffers.
French National Assembly Opens Debate on Sector-Based Immigration Quotas
The French parliament began scrutinising a bill on 20 September 2026 that would let the government set annual, sector-specific caps on non-EU labour migration. Supporters say quotas will plug chronic skills shortages; critics warn they could create a two-tier workforce. If enacted, companies will need to monitor quota availability and adjust hiring timelines as the first caps are expected to apply from 1 January 2027.
Eurostar Cancels Multiple Paris-London Services on 20 September
Eurostar scrubbed at least two Paris–London trains on 20 September 2026 because of operational and border-staff constraints, affecting roughly 1,400 passengers at the close of a busy travel weekend. Businesses should expect ongoing volatility on the route until new EU biometric border systems come online and build contingencies into travel plans.
Macron Visit Temporarily Shuts Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon Port, Highlights French Sovereignty
A presidential visit to Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon on 20 September 2026 led to a 90-minute shutdown of the territory’s main harbour, briefly disrupting vessel traffic. While the impact on trade was minimal, the episode illustrates how high-level diplomatic travel can impose sudden border and port controls. Macron also announced plans to modernise the port, signalling future opportunities for logistics and mobility providers.