There seems to be no end in sight for the French Guiana ATC strikes. Here’s the current situation:
SOOO FIR: the entire airspace will be uncontrolled from 00-11z until further notice (extended beyond 01Dec).
That means there will be no ATC staff on duty during these times. Basically, during the closure, there’s a contingency plan in place: so if you want to cross this bit of airspace, there are now very specific routes and levels you have to fly at. Check these carefully prior to ops, and make sure you’re at the right flight level before crossing the FIR boundary. Once you’re inside the FIR, don’t change your speed or level.
To read the contingency plan in full, with all the published routes and what to do, click here.
TTZP/Piarco ATC (who control the FIR to the north) have said that everything has been running smoothly so far with this contingency plan, and they haven’t had any problems with directing overflying traffic from TTZP to SOOO.
SOCA/Cayenne Airport: the airport will be limited between 0100-1100Z until further notice. This means you can’t file as an alternate, and if you’re arriving or departing during these times, you’ll need to call ATC for PPR at +594 35 92 72, or +594 39 93 02.
We’ll keep this page updated with the latest news as we get it.
More on the topic:
- More: How to survive a French ATC strike
- More: The Curious Case of the Bonus French ATC Strike
- More: Africa ATC Strike
- More: Morocco ATC Strike Cancelled!
- More: No overnight ATC in Suriname airspace
More reading:
- Latest: 2024 Flight Ops Changes: The Big Ones
- Latest: High levels of Pilot Error with NAT RCL: New Briefing and Checklist
- Latest: US FAA Improves Flight Tracking Privacy
- Safe Airspace: Risk Database
- Weekly Ops Bulletin: Subscribe
- Membership plans: Why join OPSGROUP?