Paris airports escape protest disruption, flights mostly normal, as November 5 national rail strike looms

After a third weekend of protests across France, Paris airports have largely escaped disruption, but another transport test is days away: on Thursday, November 5, a national strike day, all four representative SNCF rail unions have called rail staff out on strike, and TGV, Intercités, TER, Transilien and RER services could all be reduced or cancelled.

The weekend: 70,000 march in Paris, two flights cancelled at Charles de Gaulle

The Interior Ministry put Saturday's nationwide turnout at about 320,000, including about 70,000 in Paris, down from about 550,000 on October 17 and about 410,000 on October 24. The protests were launched by high-school students over neglected school buildings, teacher shortages and a university admissions system they see as unfair to disadvantaged students, and have broadened to cost-of-living grievances. The Paris march was rerouted to the city's eastern edge and clashes broke out near its end at Porte de Charenton, where police fired tear gas; the ministry said 565 people had been arrested nationwide by late Saturday, while Paris prosecutors reported 105 arrests in the capital.

At the airports there was little disruption: flights at Charles de Gaulle and Orly ran mostly to schedule, with only two cancellations reported at Charles de Gaulle on Sunday, and the A16 motorway to Beauvais airport, blocked early on Saturday, has reopened. Airlines have not issued widespread waivers because airport infrastructure was not targeted. On the Paris metro, the République, Châtelet and Les Halles hubs were closed from 10 p.m. on Saturday at police request, with metro and RER trains bypassing those stations.

November 5: rail strike meets national day of action

November 5 is a national day of strikes and protests called by the CFDT, CGT, FO, UNSA and FSU union confederations over wages and the 2027 budget, and the four representative SNCF unions — CGT-Cheminots, UNSA-Ferroviaire, SUD-Rail and CFDT-Cheminots — have filed a joint strike notice. The unions meet SNCF management on Tuesday, November 3, and SNCF will publish its strike-day transport plan for each line from about 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 4; TGV INOUI and Intercités tickets can then be exchanged or refunded free of charge once a cancellation shows in SNCF Connect.

For flights, no reduced schedule had been announced as of November 1: the civil aviation authority DGAC had not asked airlines to cut flights, and no strike notice from air traffic controllers' unions had been reported. But FO has filed a strike notice covering DGAC, ENAC civil aviation school and BEA air accident investigation staff for November 5, and SUD Aérien has called airport ground, terminal, security and cleaning staff out, so ground transport to Charles de Gaulle and Orly could still be disrupted. Student groups have also promised campus blockades on November 4 and 6 and plan to join the November 5 demonstrations.