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French easyJet staff call strike over hub closure in south-west France

The announcement by the budget airline easyJet that it closing one of its main hubs in south-west France has been met with fury by French unions, who have called for an 'unlimited' strike.

Published: 12 September 2024 16:30 CEST

French easyJet staff call strike over hub closure in south-west France

Unions representing EasyJet staff in France have called for strike action. Photo by Boris HORVAT / AFP

The UK-based budget airline easyJet announced on Tuesday that it was closing its hub in Toulouse, south-west France.

The move will affect around 125 staff who are based there – but will not have any impact on flights going to or from Toulouse, the company said. EasyJet will continue to run the same routes from Toulouse, including daily flights to the UK.

However the announcement was met with fury by the UNAC union, which described the announcement as “brutal” and “without any prior discussions or consultation process”.

The union has called for an ‘unlimited’ strike beginning on Monday, September 16th. However it was later clarified that although the strike notice covers three months from September 16th, strike days will be periodic, and will be announced at a later date.

It is unclear at this stage exactly how much disruption the strike action will cause to easyJet flights in and out of France. We will update our strike section when we know more.

Bertrand Godinot, the easyJet director for France said in a press release that the decision to close the hub was based on “a combination of factors, including a slower post-Covid recovery as well as pressure due to inflation, which have impacted easyJet’s ability to invest more in France.”

In total, easyJet employs 1,800 people in France, under French work contracts, and it is anticipated that most of the Toulouse staff will transfer to other bases.

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ETA: What's the new £10 visa Europeans will soon need to enter UK

Travel within the EU/EEA is set for some big shake-ups over the next 12 months – starting with the EU’s EES scheme for passport checks (scheduled to start on November 10th) and then ETIAS which will require tourists and visitors to get a €7 visa.

EXPLAINED: How the EU’s new EES and ETIAS systems will work

But there’s another big change afoot for anyone travelling to the UK – the introduction of the UK’s ETA visa.

What is it?

If you have been following the latest EU developments, the ETA is very similar to the ETIAS visa – it stands for Electronic Travel Authorisation and it is essentially an electronic visa that you apply for online in advance of your trip.

It costs £10 and lasts two years, allowing multiple entries to the UK while it is valid.

Just like ETIAS, it is modelled on the USA’s ESTA visa waiver, and is required for all types of travel including tourism, short stays and family holidays.

When will it be introduced?

The UK’s ETA is being introduced in three stages; it is already a requirement for nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

From January 8th 2025 it will be required for nationals of all non-EU or non-EEA countries – including Americans, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders. You can find the full list here, applications for the visa open online on November 27th 2024.

The final stage involves EU and EEA countries – Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Vatican City passengers will require the ETA from April 2nd, 2025.

Applications for the visa open online from March 5th. The only exception is people travelling on an Irish passport (because of the Common Travel Area between the UK and Ireland).

Who will it affect?

By the time phase three comes into effect in April 2025 it will cover all of the world’s nationalities with two exceptions; those travelling on a UK passport and those travelling on an Irish passport.

Also exempt are UK visa-holders or anyone who has residency status in the UK (for example EU nationals who moved before Brexit and have Settled or Pre-Settled Status). An ETA is not required if you live in Ireland and you’re travelling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man.

Otherwise everyone needs one – including children or babies, EU nationals who have a British spouse and airline passengers who are simply transiting through the UK.

The ETA is intended for short visits such as holidays and family stays – it does not allow people to stay in the UK for more than 180 days or to work in the UK.

How can I get one?

You apply online or on the UK ETA app in advance of your trip – the UK government says that applications will normally be processed within three working days, but sometimes this may take longer. You cannot enter the UK until the ETA has been processed.

The ETA costs £10 and lasts for two years – during that time you can make multiple trips to the UK. If your passport is renewed during that time period, you will need to apply for a new ETA.

You cannot make group applications – each person in a group needs their own ETA, but you can make the application for another person.

Find the UK government website HERE.

What about dual nationals?

If you hold a UK passport plus the passport of another country it all depends on which passport you are using to travel into the UK.

The passports of dual nationals are not ‘linked’, so for example if you present a French passport at the border, the system has no way of knowing that you are also a UK national and will treat you like any other French citizen – meaning you will need an ETA from April 2nd 2025.

You will only be exempted from the ETA requirement if you have your UK passport with you and can show it at the border.

As previously mentioned, anyone travelling on an Irish passport is also exempt.

EU nationals who have a British spouse will require the ETA, unless they are also dual nationals and are travelling on their UK passport.

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