"Hong Kong, China - July 9, 2012: Air France Boeing 777 passenger plane parked at the Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, China. Air France is one of the world's largest airlines." (iStock)
On Tuesday, the strikes in France by air traffic controllers reached their second day and forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights to and from the European nation.
According to Radio France Internationale, the air traffic controllers from the UNSA union who are now on strike have caused delays and cancellations at major airports, including Brest Bretagne Airport, Bordeaux–Merignac Airport, Aerodrome d'Aix en Provence, Nice Cote d'Azur International Airport and Marseille Provence Airport.
The four-day strike by air traffic controllers began Monday.
In total, aviation authorities in France said an estimated 25 percent of flights to, from or over the southern region of the country have been impacted. Another 33 percent have been affected in the Western portion of the nation.
According to FlightAware.com (as of 10:45 a.m. ET), there were over 250 flights canceled Tuesday and around 375 flights canceled Monday. Airlines such as EasyJet, Ryanair and Air France were all forced to cancel many flights due to the strike.
In addition to the strikes by air traffic controllers, employees at Air France also hit the picket line Tuesday in a dispute over executive pay, but the additional strike did not cause more delays or cancellations.
Air France reported only being able to operate 74 percent of domestic flights from Paris Orly Airport and other regional airports. On the other, 94 percent of the national carrier’s flights from Charles de Gaulle Airport were running as scheduled.
All international and domestic passengers traveling to or from France Tuesday should expect delays.
Travelers have been advised to call their airlines before heading to the airport to ensure their flights haven’t been canceled.
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