French Pilots to Strike Over Proposed Triple Tax on Flight Tickets

To protest a government proposal of increase in the airline ticket fee as part of larger efforts to close the gap in France’s state budget, a major French pilots’ union is calling for strike action on Thursday. According to unions, the proposed hike will result in job losses even if it is expected to generate up to €1 billion annually for the government.

The aviation industry as a whole is furious over the anticipated tax increases.

Air France-KLM cautioned that this year’s expenditures would be greater than previously anticipated after reporting a larger-than-expected decline in its quarterly operating result on Thursday.

Despite not having a majority in parliament, the government is trying to pass its draft budget for the upcoming year. The issue of the strike notice will affect Air France and other airlines with pilots on French labor contracts.

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The SNPL union said in a statement on Sunday, “This additional tax will ultimately lead to tens of thousands of job losses in France. This social disaster will go hand in hand with the weakening of French operators or those operating regularly in France compared to their European and international competitors.”

Flights to or from France starting in January 2025 will be subject to the government’s proposed increase in the aviation tax with the exception of Corsica and France’s overseas territories.

For flights within Europe, the cost of an economy class ticket would go from €2.60 to €9.50 per passenger while long-haul flights may cost up to €40.

An urgent need for additional tax revenue with environmental goals is reflected in the hikes. The present charge should be tripled especially for long-haul flights in order to bring in an extra €1 billion the following year.