Spain may extend air strike ban

Spain may extend its emergency law brought in to end the 24-hour air traffic controllers’ strike, despite flights returning to normal after a weekend of chaos.

The measure threatens prison for controllers who refuse to work and it took effect on Saturday for an initial 15 days.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said today he will decide whether to extend it to cover the busy Christmas travel period.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled during the strike that began on Friday afternoon, affecting around 600,000 travellers.