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Travellers flying to and from Nice airport are at risk of delays this summer 鈥� and beyond 鈥� as a shortage of air traffic controllers affects schedules. 

The airport is set to be heavily impacted by a major air traffic controller strike at the end of this week, with up to half of all flights to and from Nice cancelled. 

However, a lack of available controllers has been impacting the airport since March, causing both incoming and departing flights to wait for a space to land or take off.

Low-cost carrier easyJet has already reduced the number of summer flights to Nice, despite the airport being its main hub in France. 

For those departing, delays can range from 15 minutes to an hour, but to keep things running smoothly off the tarmac, passengers are boarded as if they are departing on time.

They must often remain in their seats with seatbelts on as planes wait to taxi off at a moment鈥檚 notice, leading to angry passengers.

Up to 20% of delays at the airport are due to air traffic control issues, and this rose to 30% in May 2025. 

Addressing the issue is a 鈥榩riority鈥�, said national and local officials, due to the airport鈥檚 vital position in the country鈥檚 tourism industry. 

Lack of controllers for busy airport 

The reason for the delays is simple 鈥� a lack of air traffic controllers at the airport. 

Nice is the third-busiest airport in France, handling around 15 million passengers annually (and further expansions are planned in the coming years). 

It also rests along the flight path to many popular destinations, meaning several flights that do not land at the airport must still pass through the travel corridors in the airport鈥檚 proximity.

South-east France鈥檚 busy flight corridors are managed by controllers at Nice and Marseille-Provence airports. However, each 鈥渃an only manage a limited number of planes in a given space,鈥� said France鈥檚 Civil Aviation Authority, the DGAC, as quoted in Le Figaro. 

To ensure the corridor in Nice is safely covered throughout the year, the DGAC estimates that 90 air traffic controllers are required. Currently, there are only 78.

鈥淥ther controllers have been recruited, but鈥� they require a significant amount of on-the-job training before they can be operational,鈥� the DGAC said.

鈥淚t will therefore take some time, at least one or two years, before the number of controllers on site reaches full capacity,鈥� it added. 

Nice is also a stronghold for the unions engaging in this week鈥檚 strike action, with the DGAC aware of 鈥榠ll will鈥� among current air traffic controllers. 

The atmosphere does little to improve the situation, and the knock-on effects of the delays are widespread. 

Usually beginning in the morning, delays to take-off and landing affect many flights departing the airport, even forcing some to be cancelled. 

Delayed planes 鈥� both leaving and arriving at Nice 鈥� cause knock-on disruptions at other destinations across Europe.

MPs and airline management up in arms

It is not only holidaymakers who are becoming frustrated, but frequent passengers, including MPs. 

Right-wing MP Eric Ciotti, who represents Nice at the Assembl茅e nationale, said the 鈥渟ituation that has become particularly worrying鈥� in a letter to Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot. 

The Nice-Paris flight corridor is the quickest way for MPs to travel between the capital and their constituencies.

鈥淲e are banging our fists on the table, we want the DGAC to come up with a lasting solution because this is completely unacceptable,鈥� said head of easyJet France Bertrand Godinot to Le Figaro. 

鈥淲e are suffering from the situation, and it is having an impact on our image,鈥� he added.