French air traffic controllers have gone on strike for the second time in two weeks, reports The Telegraph.
The country's airport unions have now racked up a remarkable 43 strike days since 2009, prompting calls from the aviation industry for government action to put an end to the crippling disruptions.
The latest walk-out, which began on Wednesday, is expected to last 36 hours and cause cancellations and delays across Europe. Last week’s action saw more than 1,000 flights scrapped and a total of 500,000 minutes of delays.
“The cynical targeting of Easter holidays by French air traffic controllers – with two strikes in 10 days - causes uncertainty and disruption for our customers and makes flight rebooking difficult as existing flights are already full,” said Willie Walsh, chief executive of airline group IAG.
“Flights to France and those which overfly the country are affected which, due to its size and geographic location, means major cancellations and delays.
“We urge the British government to work with the French government to minimise the impact of strike action.”
Another group of airlines, Airlines for Europe (A4E), also described the “repeated and disproportionate industrial action” as unacceptable.