French air traffic controllers set to strike

A strike by French air traffic controllers is expected to disrupt flights in and out of France.

A strike by French air traffic controllers starting tonight is expected to disrupt flights in and out of France. France's civil aviation authority said it asked airlines to cancel 20 per cent of flights on Wednesday at Charles de Gaulle airport and 50 per cent at the smaller Orly airport. Unions say the strike is to end early on Thursday. Unions of air traffic controllers are striking over a plan to unify European airspace. The Single European Sky concept is meant to ensure greater efficiency and deal with a projected increase in traffic, but French air traffic controllers are worried about how it will affect them.

National carrier Air France said all its long-haul flights were scheduled to run normally on Wednesday. It said 80 per cent of short- and medium-haul routes would operate at Charles de Gaulle, while half of short- and medium-haul flights would run at Orly. *AP