French air controllers' strike forces flight cancellations
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 19:22:00 02/11/2008
PARIS -- French air traffic controllers started a five-day strike Monday that immediately forced the cancellation of several flights, mainly at Paris-Orly airport.
France's General Directorate for Civil Aviation (DGAC) said one flight in two has been cancelled at Orly and there were average delays of two hours, which could increase during the day, according to spokesman Patrick Gandil.
At the main Paris airport Charles de Gaulle, operations were relatively normal with only half-hour delays reported on some flights, the DGAC said.
Domestic flights were expected to be worst hit but early morning Air France departures from Orly to Prague and Ouarzazate in Morocco were among the first victims. Easyjet, the low cost carrier, cancelled flights from the same airport to Geneva, Athens and Rome.
Flights to Paris-Orly from other French cities were also cancelled, including 12 flights from Toulouse and three from Lyon.
The strike has been called by the communist-led General Labor Confederation (CGT) union over plans to centralize air traffic control for the Paris region at a single base.
The union had warned of a strike from Monday through Friday at Orly, and on Tuesday and Wednesday at Charles de Gaulle.
"If management does not propose something tangible, we will resume the strike," said CGT delegate Jean-Paul Armangau, referring to the possibility of calling for another strike next week.
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