France urged to overhaul air traffic control after delays
France has been urged to consider privatising its air traffic control system after reforms failed to reduce delays, with the country accounting for 36% of Europe’s air traffic management delays in 2025.
France should consider privatising its air traffic control system after reforms introduced in 2024 failed to deliver expected improvements, the Cour des comptes has warned.
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France accounted for 36% of Europe’s en-route air traffic management delays in 2025, the highest share of any country, with staffing and capacity shortages among the main causes.
The audit found that planned productivity gains and savings had largely failed to materialise.
Only eight control towers have been approved for closure, despite plans to reduce their number, while just 80% of controllers were using new biometric badges intended to monitor attendance.
The Cour des comptes also criticised the special status of French air traffic controllers, who are civil servants but receive average salaries of about €110,000, including bonuses and local arrangements.
It recommended a serious study of moving the service into an autonomous legal structure, similar to previous French reforms involving France Télécom, now Orange, and La Poste.
The report follows a 2022 near-miss at Bordeaux Airport, when an easyJet flight from the UK almost landed on a small aircraft waiting to take off.
An investigation found that the number of controllers on duty had been reduced from six to three before the shift began.