PASSENGERS faced delays and cancellations yesterday as French air traffic controllers began a five-day strike.
Airlines were forced to cut half their short-haul services at Paris’s Orly airport, and a quarter at Charles de Gaulle, as a result of the strike, which trade unions called to protest against reforms they believe will lead to job losses.
Air France said none of its long-haul flights were affected, but it had scaled back its European schedules following an order from civil aviation authorities.
Passengers intending to travel between Ireland and France this week may experience delays and cancellations, and were advised to check the status of their flights.
Four French unions have called the strike to protest against the planned merger of the Belgian, Dutch, French, German, Luxembourg and Swiss air traffic control networks. Unions fear the pan-European deal will result in the loss of jobs, and timed their five-day strike to coincide with France’s midterm school holiday. Disruption is expected to continue until Saturday.
The French strike comes amid a spate of labour disputes that threaten to disrupt air passengers across the Continent this week. British Airways was facing its first strike in more than a decade after the company’s 12,000 cabin crew voted for a walkout in a row over staffing levels.
In Germany, pilots at Lufthansa agreed to suspend a strike until next month after causing 900 flights to be cancelled on Monday. About 1,000 of 1,800 scheduled Lufthansa flights operated yesterday, as pilots returned to work after the suspension of what was planned as a four-day walkout.
Meanwhile, there were signs of a possible breakthrough yesterday in a separate strike that has closed oil refineries and caused localised petrol shortages across France.
The seven-day dispute between Total, Europe’s biggest oil refiner, and workers at its French plants has closed all six of the company’s refineries and led to an intervention by president Nicolas Sarkozy.
Workers had halted output in protest at plans by the company to close its Dunkirk plant in northern France, as it aims to cut production capacity by 500,000 barrels per day by 2011. However, representatives of the CGT union claimed yesterday that Total had promised not to close or sell any French refineries for five years. The company said only that “significant” progress had been made at talks between the two sides.
Mr Sarkozy had earlier asked Total chief executive Christophe de Margerie for a pledge not to shut plants.
European refiners are struggling to cope with low margins and poor demand, and several refineries have been put up for sale or have been sold.
Total supplies half of the country with petrol. With the government keen to avoid panic-buying at petrol pumps ahead of regional elections next month, ministers had earlier urged motorists to remain calm.
Environment minister Jean-Louis Borloo told French radio the country was not at risk of running out, and had about 10 days of stocks. “At this point in time, there is no risk of shortage,” he said.