Small airports shut by strike
Passengers advised to check with airline as controllers dispute forced some closures
AIR passengers using small airports are advised to check with their airline as the air controllers' strike enters its second day.
Several small airports such as Avignon, Beziers Cap d'Agde, Pau and Rouen were forced to close during the first day of the strike yesterday - with all flights cancelled - as they had no air controller on duty.
The French aviation authority DGAC has asked airlines to cut services by 20% during the strike.
This led to 135 of 675 flights being cancelled at Paris Orly. Other flights were hit by delays, averaging one hour. No flights were cancelled at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle.
At Lyon, which was heavily hit in yesterday's strike, several flights were cancelled today, with many others facing severe delays.
Nice also faced some cancellations, with Ryanair's Dublin flights affected along with the Iberia flight to Madrid, FlyBe and easyJet to Orly and several Air France services.
Small airports do not come under the minimum service law and without personnel they cannot operate safely.
Avignon had all services cancelled
Beziers lost flights to Luton and Dusseldorf but others were going ahead.
Pau this morning had flights cancelled to Lyon.
Rouen was open, but with delays possible.
The controllers are protesting over plans to change regional services and cut jobs.
