Strike to cause massive delays at Paris airports

Latest update : 2010-07-21
Up to 20 percent of flights into Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport and 50 percent of flights into Orly may be canceled due to a walkout by air-traffic controllers that began on Tuesday evening and is expected to last until Thursday morning.
France's civil aviation authority said it asked airlines to scrap 20 percent of flights Wednesday at Charles de Gaulle airport and 50 percent at the smaller Orly airport.
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 Wednesday. It said 80 percent of short- and medium-haul routes would operate at Charles de Gaulle, while half of short- and medium-haul flights would run at Orly.
Date created : 2010-07-19