Can anyone report on the CTOT situation overflying France (in the eastern portion) as a result of the French ATC strikes? I checked the above linked website but cannot get any sense out of it.
The route will be roughly EGKA – BILGO – REM – HR and then into Switzerland and to LDLO.
You need to create a login…it does not see m there is much going on eastern side for tomorrow (except Bale sector from 4pm to 10pm)
Today at Toussus
I know nothing of “CTOT” or of IFR routes, and thi was VFR traffic being affected, but something happened last Thursday lunchtime I’ve not experienced before… Aquitaine FIS closed for lunch!! No idea if it was strike related or lack of staff related, or both, but it was a first for me, and I certainly hope its not a regular occurrence.
This DSNA site is very good, thanks for sharing.
Ibra wrote:
it does not see m there is much going on eastern side for tomorrow
How do you see for the next day?
Looks like no more strike these days, just ATC capacity delay…
I am planning to cross France from the UK on Saturday to Cannes, got an ASL, but planning to do a pit stop, so a bit worried how the whole situation will play out with slots, etc. Though not much else to do but hope. Weather seems decent so may have option to go VFR if too delayed.
Sometimes it says “ATC staffing” in messages maybe it’s this what seems to limits sector capacity and cause CTOT?
It could be unrelated to “ATC strikes” (you see ATC staffing issues in Finland/Germany)
Just got a 3hr delay due to a French ATC strike
Your flight plan is subject to flow management and a departure slot was assigned.
The details of the flight plan are as follows:
Aircraft ID: N113AC
Departure aerodrome: EGKA
Destination aerodrome: LFLP
Estimated off block time (EOBT): 2023-06-02 09:00Z
Slot time (CTOT): 1215Z
The slot is due to the following regulations:
- LFPMS02E
- LFSBM02M
The following cause was given:
- enroute phase: ATC staffing
The slot time is designed to have you over the congestion at the given time and altitude:
Area: DIKOL, time: 1355Z, altitude: F110
Need to work out which bit to fly VFR…
Looks like the whole lot:
Solution:
I could not get anything to work for reverting to IFR at the end but one can normally ask for an IFR clearance to fly an approach.
3hrs – WTF!
So I see, actual IFR flight preparation doesn’t necessarily have to be much shorter or easier than VFR one. Because I’ll go VFR all the way and in particular over Switzerland it’s not easy, airspace-wise. At least until I finally found these VFR routes. Looking forward to some very scenic flight along the mountainsides 
I had a surreal experience Tuesday, I crossed france from lfmd to uk in two legs both without CTOT! This is my first IFR flight this year in france without slot! It had been so far quite bad this year including a 7h one leading to flight suspended…
And of course Tuesday was beautiful vmc so I could have gone vfr as plan b that day… not always the case in previous flights when I had delays :(
Wow, surprised you got a slot at LFMD for last weekend…. what was it like?
boscomantico wrote:
Wow, surprised you got a slot at LFMD for last weekend…. what was it like?
full of private jets :)
I flew in saturday, getting the airport slot was actually easy, and i got the time i wanted for both days. Had quite a bit of CTOT delay for inbound legs, flew first leg VFR (given 1h+delay), second leg IFR (only 20min delay). That got me late for the airport arrival slot, but nobody said anything… delay wasn’t my fault but eurocontrol :)
