Travellers flying easyJet through Nice have avoided disruption this week after the airline’s French pilots called off a two-day strike due to begin on Sunday and agreed to return to talks with management. The relief may prove short-lived, however: the pilots’ union has not withdrawn its strike notice but pushed it back to Thursday 24th and Friday 25th September, leaving the threat of cancellations hanging over easyJet’s French bases, Nice among them.

The walkout, called by the National Union of Airline Pilots (SNPL), had originally been set for 13th and 14th September before being suspended over the weekend once negotiations resumed.

Talks reopen, but no deal yet

The SNPL said it had postponed the action to “give this renewed dialogue a genuine chance of success”, while making clear that the dispute is far from settled. “At this stage, no firm commitments have yet been secured regarding key demands, particularly concerning schedule stability and working conditions,” the union said, though it welcomed the return to the table.

A dispute over unstable rosters

At the heart of the disagreement is what pilots describe as chronic instability in their schedules, which they say are changed too often and at too short notice, driving fatigue. Rosters can be altered several times a week, and in some cases up to ten times for a single day before departure. “It is not uncommon for a pilot to end the month with a schedule where not a single day matches what was originally planned at the start of the month,” the SNPL said.

Pilots want the deal cabin crew won

The pilots’ move follows a similar revolt by easyJet’s French cabin crew, who walked out on 15th and 16th August in a strike that grounded close to 100 flights by the airline’s count, and nearer 200 according to unions. That dispute ended in an agreement guaranteeing cabin crew at least five fixed days each month when their schedules cannot be altered, along with compensation when changes exceed two hours, backdated to 1st April 2026. Pilots argue they deserve the same protections, noting that they “operate the same aircraft and the same flight rotations within the same operational environment”.

What it means for travellers

If talks fail, the strike notice covers pilots at easyJet’s six French bases — Paris Orly, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lyon, Nice, Nantes and Bordeaux — with any new dates to be confirmed at least 48 hours in advance.

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Photo by Cassandra Tanti