Day-Two Update: Five-Day Airline Crew Strike Disrupts French Airspace
France-Visas Portal to Go Offline on 21 October: Capago Warns Algerian Applicants
New Fast-Track ‘Professional Doctor’ Visa Route Announced for Algerian Physicians
Latest News
Live Data: Passport-Control Queues at Paris-CDG Stabilise but Remain EES-Dependent
CDG’s live dashboard shows short queues today, but EES biometric registration continues to produce unpredictable peaks. Travellers—especially first-time non-EU entrants—should budget extra time, and companies with tight connection itineraries should consider longer layovers until PARAFE-EES integration improves.
Nationwide Cost-of-Living Protests Spark Travel Advisories Across France
Violent nationwide protests on 17-18 October caused transport disruptions and property damage, prompting travel advisories in several French cities. Corporate travellers are urged to monitor local alerts, avoid late-night public transport near demonstration zones and build flexibility into itineraries ahead of further strike action.
Didier Chabert Takes Office as France’s New Consul General in Algiers
France’s new Consul General in Algiers, Didier Chabert, has prioritised visa-service improvements and professional-mobility initiatives in his inaugural statements. Given Algeria’s status as France’s busiest visa post, even marginal policy shifts could speed or slow corporate assignments.
France extends Schengen-area internal border checks for another six months from 1 November 2026
Paris has told the European Commission that it will keep internal border checks with Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Spain and Italy until 30 April 2027, citing terrorism and smuggling risks. The move maintains the identity-check regime introduced in 2015 and could add modest time to business-travel itineraries, especially on rail and road corridors. Companies should ensure employees continue to carry passports/ID and build extra buffer time into schedules.
Air France, Transavia and Corsair avert 5-day strike after unions suspend action
Unions representing flight and cabin crew at Air France, Transavia and Corsair have suspended a five-day strike planned for 17-21 October after winning a freeze on proposed roster changes and a pledge to hire 350 seasonal staff. The last-minute deal spares France’s airports major disruption at the start of the school-holiday rush and removes a serious threat to business travel and expatriate assignments that transit through Paris. Companies should still expect busy terminals and should verify any flights that were pre-emptively cancelled.
Airports and airlines present six-point plan to end EES border chaos before Christmas
ACI Europe and Airlines for Europe have issued a six-point blueprint – and a Christmas deadline – for member states to fix long queues caused by the Schengen Entry/Exit System. France, one of the hardest-hit countries, faces wait times of over two hours at its main airports, threatening business travel and tourism. Companies should add extra buffer time and stay alert to potential rapid procedural shifts if Brussels restores emergency flexibilities.
French airline unions suspend 17–21 October cabin-crew strike, averting major flight disruption
Air France, Transavia and Corsair travellers can breathe easier after five unions suspended a five-day nationwide strike scheduled for 17–21 October. The u-turn removes the risk of mass cancellations during France’s Toussaint holidays, but unions warn the notice could be reactivated with 48 hours’ warning if pension talks falter.
Bus strike paralyses two key Paris suburbs on 16 October, complicating airport access
A one-day bus strike in the Asnières and Saint-Denis areas on 16 October shut down most services on key airport-feeder routes, forcing travellers onto already crowded metro lines. The action underscores the cumulative impact of multiple small-scale labour disputes on end-to-end travel times for business and aviation workers.
French rugby stars briefly barred from UK match over expired electronic travel authorisations
Four Bordeaux-Bègles rugby players were temporarily refused entry to the UK on 15 October after arriving with ETAs linked to old passports. The mix-up delayed the squad’s Champions Cup preparations and underscores the importance of renewing UK Electronic Travel Authorisations whenever a passport is replaced. French firms sending staff to Britain should add ETA validity checks to their standard travel protocols.