Strikes bring more French travel chaos

Another 24-hour strike by is held by air traffic controllers and railway workers in France.

Travel Insurance News - 28/10/2010

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Yet more strike action is set to cause more travel misery in France. Airlines are expected to cancel large numbers of flights as French air traffic controllers walk out in the latest industrial action in protest at government pension reforms. The French aviation authority says half of the flights to Paris-Orly Airport and a about a third of flights to France’s other airports could be cancelled.

Hardest hit are expected to be short-haul services. Most long-haul flights are expected to operate normally. Air France, easyJet and British Airways all confirmed that they expect strikes in France to lead to delays as well as cancellations.

Passengers are being urged to check with airlines to confirm the status of their flights before heading to airports. Ryanair already has a list of cancelled flights posted on its website. More than 200 flights to destinations around Europe are listed.

Rail services are also expected to suffer. During previous strikes, some two-thirds of French train services were cancelled. This included both the TGV high-speed trains and regular services. In Paris, services on the Metro were also disrupted. Eurostar says its services will continue unaffected.

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