What does the change mean? Travelers should check their flight status, arrive at the airport early and anticipate delays when traveling to or within France.

• Implementation time frame: Ongoing.
• Who is affected: Anyone traveling to or within France.
• Business impact: Business travelers should expect delays; businesses may need to adjust timelines.
• Next steps: Travel in France may become even more difficult over the next few days as France prepares to play host to the European soccer championship (UEFA Euro 2016), which is set to begin Friday and is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of fans to the country.

Background: Workers across a number of sectors have gone on strike in France to protest government labor reforms. Travelers have so far been able to move into and around France, but flights and transportation systems have experienced delays. The U.S. Embassy in France released a statement Friday, advising that travelers verify the status of their flights and avoid public demonstrations, which, the embassy said, can turn violent even when they appear peaceful.

BAL Analysis: The strikes have caused flight cancellations and led to travel delays across France. It is impossible to tell at this point how long the strikes will last, but travelers are advised to check the status of flights, arrive at the airport early and prepare for delays.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in France. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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