Madrid Airport

The move will see passengers pay ’65 per cent’ less tax on a number of routes in a bid to make them more ‘affordable’

The prices of tickets for a number of flights in a holiday destination for British travellers will be lowered in a bid to make them more affordable. The move will see flights on 26 specific routes cut in price as tax is reduced on many flights in France, which gets around four million visits from UK travellers every year.

The move was introduced on June 1. Philippe Tabarot, minister at the French Ministry of Transport, confirmed the update this week, and it will affect some international flights as well as trips to some of France’s biggest cities.

Travellers in the UK heading for holidays to France from Heathrow and Gatwick could benefit. Air France, for instance, travels to Paris Charles de Gaulle, while Manchester airport and Birmingham airport also daily flights to both Paris and Lyon, and Newcastle, Edinburgh and Southampton airports also have regular Paris flights.

The move is due to a change in the so-called solidarity tax on airplane tickets (TSBA). French media website 20 Minutes reports that the TSBA had been raised in March 2025 for all flights departing from France.

Local media say the amount rose from €2.63 to €7.40 per passenger. Now passengers flying on certain routes will see the figure returne to the original rate of €2.63.

The Ministry of Transport says this represents a 65% reduction in the tax. That amounts to a saving of €4.77 per ticket.

The flights in France to be affected by the TSBA change

This discount applies to the following routes:

1. Calvi-Marseille
2. Ajaccio-Paris (Orly)
3. La Rochelle–Lyon
4. Ajaccio-Nice
5. Brive–Paris
6. Rodez–Paris
7. Strasbourg–Madrid
8. Strasbourg–Munich
9. Bastia-Nice
10. Figari-Paris (Orly)
11. Tarbes–Paris
12. Calvi-Paris (Orly)
13. Calvi-Nice
14. Brest–Ouessant
15. Bastia-Paris (Orly)
16. Limoges–Lyon
17. Figari-Nice
18. Poitiers–Lyon
19. Aurillac–Paris
20. Bastia-Marseille
21. Strasbourg-Copenhagen
22. Limoges–Paris
23. Figari-Marseille
24. Ajaccio-Marseille
25. Castres–Paris
26. Le Puy–Paris

The minister said: “By making these routes more affordable, this measure reflects the government’s commitment to supporting connectivity in the least well-served regions and to reducing the cost of air travel to and from these destinations.”

The move is designed to support routes officials believe are sometimes poorly served by other means of transport. While the flights are almost all domestic, Brits travelling around the country could benefit.

There are also international connections to Strasbourg that are included, as well as most of the links between the French island of Corsica and the mainland. These routes have a special status as ‘public service’ routes because they are in areas where other transport options are limited, or where flying represents the only fast connection, The Local reports.

The eco tax was originally added to plane tickets under Jacques Chirac’s government in 2005, French media reports say. It was doubled in 2024 in a move that Ryanair blamed for its withdrawal from some regional French airports.

The tax is added as an extra fee to each plane ticket bought. It is charged at a sliding rate based on the length of the flight and whether the ticket is standard class, business or first.

Air traffic controller strikes will cause ‘indefinite’ disruption to flights from April 17, affecting some of the most popular European holiday locations

British holidaymakers are facing the prospect of indefinite disruption starting from tomorrow at major European holiday destinations. A total of 14 airports at popular holiday locations are preparing for strike action from Friday, April 17.

Air traffic controller unions are warning that the strike action is ‘indefinite’. Spanish media reports indicate that the action by USCA kicks off on April 17 at the Canary Island hotspots of Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro – with nine further locations also affected.

Other popular holiday destinations set to be hit by airport strikes include the mainland locations of Jerez de la Frontera, La Coruña, Madrid-Cuatro Vientos, Vigo and Seville. Castellón, Burgos, Huesca and Ciudad Real are also set for strike action.

Travel website Travel On World is cautioning tourists that the greatest risk is likely to be “delays, late aircraft rotations, missed connections and short-notice timetable changes.”

The site notes that for many travellers, the main concern is not a complete shutdown of operations. Instead, it is planes departing late from earlier locations, inbound flights being held up, departure slots changing around, turnaround times tightening and passengers having to put up with long waits for clear details on what is happening.

Because air traffic control is classed as an essential service, Spanish authorities have the power to impose minimum service levels. This should mean that some flights continue to operate.

Some flights are therefore likely to depart close to schedule. Yet others may face significant delays, and some could be cancelled where airlines determine the knock-on effect has become too serious.

What are my rights over the Spain airport strikes?

According to the Civil Aviation Authority, if your UK flight is delayed, and a post-Brexit regulation known as UK261 applies to it, your airline must care for you while you are delayed. This includes supplying you with food and drink depending on the length of your delay, and accommodation if you are delayed overnight.

You may also be entitled to compensation if the delay results in you reaching your destination airport more than three hours late. If the delay exceeds five hours, you can opt not to travel and receive a refund.

What is the Spain strike action all about?

The airports affected by the industrial action share a common thread – all are operated by SAERCO. Further strikes had previously been anticipated at Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, linked to a separate ongoing dispute involving Groundforce baggage handlers. However, it emerged earlier this week that this action has now been suspended.

Travellers must now contend with this latest wave of industrial unrest. Air traffic control unions say they are taking strike action over staff shortages and shift scheduling disputes – and passengers should be ready for disruption.

USCA spokesman José Luis Feliú told El Espejo Canario that delays are a real possibility. And the sunspots are busy all year long. Aena reports that 5.7million British holidaymakers visited the Canary Islands in 2023 alone.

Even outside of the school holidays, the islands remain a firm favourite with British travellers – and for good reason. According to the Hello Canary Islands website, with 4,800 daylight hours a year, the Canary Islands have the most daylight hours of anywhere in Europe.

What the unions are saying about the Spain airport strikes?

USCA spokesman José Luis Feliú told Spanish media there is currently a “shortage of air traffic controllers,” which he said directly impacts the system’s operation. “It generates greater stress, more fatigue, and makes it impossible to guarantee service continuity,” he warns.

The union spokesman highlights that the surge in air traffic has worsened the situation, compelling professionals to shoulder heavier workloads under increasingly difficult conditions, reports El Espejo Canario. One of the most pressing concerns is shift management, he alleges. “The company unilaterally changes the schedule,” alleges Feliú, leaving workers unable to plan their personal lives, he claims.

He claims that air traffic controllers are forced to “give up leave, vacations, and planned changes,” a situation he regards as unsustainable in the long run. “In the end, you work the same hours, but without any planning,” he claims.

The strike is indefinite, although minimum services will remain in place, it is understood. Spanish website Larazon reports that the union cites “staff cuts of up to 33%” as the reason for this nationwide strike.

The website reports that the action is set to affect football fans using Seville airport. The Copa del Rey final will take place in Seville between Atlético de Madrid and Real Sociedad on Saturday, April 18.

According to Diario de Jerez, as of midday Thursday, the Jerez airport schedule still showed 18 commercial flights planned for Friday (nine landings and nine takeoffs). Meanwhile, another 18 commercial operations are scheduled for Saturday, two of them with Germany.