Hundreds of flights were canceled while thousands of passengers were forced to change their plans as French air traffic controllers went on strike over pay on Friday.
In turn, Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, suspended 420 flights across Europe as the 24-hour strike affected connections between airports across the continent.
Rival airline EasyJet has warned of significant flight delays and disruptions.
Members of the French National Union of Air Traffic Controllers began the strike at 6 a.m. on Friday.
The unrest is expected to continue until Monday.
The union announced it was calling for action after talks with the government broke down over an inflation-adjusted wage increase.
“After spending several months negotiating fair and consistent responses, the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers regrets the lack of concrete elements and assurances from government officials,” it said in a statement.
Paris Airport, which owns and operates 14 civilian airports in the Ile-de-France region of Paris, warned on Thursday to expect “significant” delays and cancellations at arrivals and departures.
Several flights over French airspace were also affected.
In Spain, the departure board at Barcelona airport showed that more than 50 flights were delayed or canceled on Friday afternoon.
In Germany, Hamburg Airport said 48 of the 251 flights scheduled for the day had been canceled by noon local time, with more delays and cancellations likely.
Earlier in the week, France’s General Directorate of Civil Aviation warned that up to 50 percent of the country’s flights could be affected and urged travelers to contact airlines to postpone their flights.
France’s National Union of Air Traffic Controllers said the strike planned for September 28 could go ahead.
Unrest is expected on Monday, with London’s Heathrow Airport announcing that some flights will be canceled or delayed to keep airspace calm during Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
Source: Lebanon Debate
