France: airline pilots and cabin crew strike from 17 to 21 October 2026 (Air France, Transavia, Corsair and other French carriers)

Five pilot and cabin crew unions — SNPL, UNSA-PNC, SNPNC-FO, SNGAF and UNAC — have filed a joint national strike notice covering all flight crew employed under French labour law, from Saturday 17 October 2026 at 00:01 to Wednesday 21 October 2026 at 23:59 (Paris time).

The dispute is about the reform of the cumul emploi-retraite (combining work and a pension), due to take effect on 1 January 2027, which crews say would cap the complementary pensions paid by their own fund, the CRPN. Flight crew face medical limits and age ceilings that often end their careers early, and the unions want them and the CRPN excluded from the reform by law rather than by the government circular offered so far.

What to expect. The notice applies to every French carrier — Air France, Transavia France, HOP!, Corsair, Air Caraïbes, French bee and the French bases of easyJet and Vueling among others — but a notice is not a guarantee of stoppages: the real impact depends on how many crews walk out. No airline has yet announced cancellations; expect targeted cancellations and delays rather than a shutdown, and check your airline's app or email in the days before you fly. The period covers the first weekend of the autumn school holidays in France.