Air travellers hit by strike
Dispute over air traffic control changes causes Air France and easyJet to cancel flights at Orly, Lyon and Biarritz
TRAVELLERS using Paris Orly, Lyon Saint-Exupéry and Biarritz-Anglet-Bayonne airports face disruption today and tomorrow as a strike by air traffic controllers caused delays and cancellations.
However, although Air France and easyJet cancelled some flights, the majority of travellers were unaffected as pilots and flight crew unions were not involved.
The French civil aviation authority DGAC had asked airlines to cancel 20% of the flights using Orly and 18 flights at Lyon. Some flights to Orly were cancelled at Biarritz-Anglet-Bayonne, while others faced delays.
Air France said the impact on passengers would be limited as it had "already warned them by text message or email". There would be no cancellations at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle, although there could be some delays.
EasyJet, which cancelled 16 flights at Orly, advised passengers to keep an eye on its website for updates.
Air traffic controllers are protesting over plans to restructure air control services in France, causing job losses. They say that local control services at Mulhouse, Biarritz, Metz-Nancy and Beauvais will be shut.
