Thousands of passengers have travel plans wrecked by French air traffic controller strike - and they're planning TWO more walkouts
Thursday, April 9, 2015 @ 7:12 PM
Thousands of Easter holidaymakers have had their travel plans ruined after a strike by French air traffic controllers - and there could be plenty more misery on the way.
Passengers were thrown into travel chaos today after a host of major airlines - including BA, easyJet and Flybe - scrapped scores of flights across Europe as a result of the 48-hour walkout.
But the mayhem looks set to continue, with controllers due to stage another stoppage next week.
They will then strike again at the end of this month, in a move which experts say will prompt widespread disruption across dozens of European airports.
As well as continuing with the current strike tomorrow, the group has threatened to stage a further walkout from April 16-18 and from April 29 to May 1, coinciding with spring holidays in France.
The strike has been called over working conditions, including what the French air traffic union says is the unfair expectation for controllers to retire later than their counterparts elsewhere in Europe.
Simon McNamara, director general of the European Regions Airline Association, said: 'This action, during one of the busiest passenger traffic weeks of the year, is completely unjustified and unreasonable.
'Europe's airlines and passengers continue to suffer at the hands of air traffic control unions who are reluctant to recognise the opportunities for Europe that the modernisation of its air traffic management system presents.'
The industrial action, which started at 5am today, wrecked the flight schedule in several British airports, including London Stansted, Birmingham, Luton, Leeds Bradford, East Midlands and Dublin.
Read more here