PARIS –  A walkout by French air traffic controllers to protest against staff shortages and ageing equipment forced airlines to cancel hundreds of flights on Thursday, just as the summer season gets under way.

The strike impacted operations at airports across the country, including Paris’ Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport, one of Europe’s busiest hubs, and is due to run into a second day on Friday.

Lobby group Airlines for Europe said more than 1 500 flights would be cancelled over the two days, impacting nearly 300 000 travellers.

Budget airline Ryanair, opens new tab said it had cancelled 468 flights and expected the number to keep rising.

“Once again European families are held to ransom by French air traffic controllers going on strike,” Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said. “It makes no sense and is abundantly unfair on EU passengers and families going on holidays.”

France’s civil aviation agency DGAC asked airlines to cut one in four flights in and out of Paris airports and almost half of flights out of the capital on Friday. Elsewhere, airlines were asked to reduce flights by 30 per cent-50 per cent, with the south hit particularly hard.

Air France, France’s largest airline, said it had adapted its flight schedule, but that it was maintaining its full long-haul flight schedule.

EasyJet said it was cancelling 274 flights over Thursday and Friday. Lufthansa, also reduced its schedule for the two days, affecting some flights in and out of Nice, Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Montpellier airports.

IAG-owned British Airways was using larger aircraft to mitigate disruption. (Reuters)

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