Air Corsica’s two main unions—the Syndicat national des pilotes de ligne (SNPL) and the Syndicat des pilotes de l’aviation civile (SPAC)—began a seven-day walk-out on 9 October after pay talks with management collapsed. The stoppage comes at the tail end of France’s busy autumn holiday period and hits the carrier’s lifeline routes linking Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Figari with Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle, Orly, Marseille and Nice. According to the unions, pilots have endured two years of wage freezes and the loss of rest days despite double-digit inflation. They also criticise the airline’s “Tocca à Noi” restructuring plan for outsourcing ground services and allowing several ATR 72 turboprops to sit idle following unresolved “fume-events.” Management says it offered staged pay rises spread over 2027 but insists any agreement must preserve the company’s finances. Operational impact was visible from the first day: roughly half of Saturday’s rotations between Corsica and the mainland were cancelled and the airline is combining flights or re-accommodating passengers on Air France-Hop. Paris-CDG warned travellers to check flight status before heading to the airport, while the Corsican Chamber of Commerce estimates up to 15,000 seats will be lost if the strike runs its full course. For business travellers and mobility managers, the disruption highlights the thin capacity on the territorial continuity routes that qualify for public service obligations. Companies moving staff between headquarters in Paris and industrial or defence sites on the island should build in extra connection time and consider Marseille or Nice ferries as contingency options. Employers with posted workers (détachés) on short projects in Corsica are advised to review accommodation bookings and daily allowances, as last-minute hotel demand on the island is spiking. The strike also revives questions about labour relations ahead of the 2027 summer season, when both Air Corsica and Air France plan to transition to biometric EES/ETIAS processing. Any delay in rehiring or aircraft availability could leave the French south-east short of peak-season lift next year.
Source: Le Mémento Paris
