Pilots add to French air strike

Striking French air traffic controllers disrupted flights for the fourth consecutive day today.

Air France pilots added to the chaos with a walk out in protest at the airline’s cost-cutting measures.

France’s civil aviation authority said the controller strike forced the cancellation of half the flights at Orly airport south of Paris and 15% of the flights at Charles de Gaulle airport north of the city.

The air traffic controllers are upset at a Europe-wide restructuring plan that would jeopardise their status as public servants. Their strike is due to end tomorrow.

Meanwhile a strike by dockers disrupted sailings at French ports, including busy Marseille and Le Havre.

The workers are protesting over a decision by local authorities in Nantes to force striking workers there to return to work in order to move a cruise liner out of the city’s port.