Major air traffic disruption as French air traffic controllers walk out over pay

Many domestic and some international flights were cancelled in France Friday as air traffic controllers went on a national strike over pay and recruitment issues.

French civil aviation authority DGAC warned that domestic traffic would be "severely disrupted" with many flights cancelled and others experiencing long delays.

Passengers have been advised to postpone their trip if possible.

Air France said it has cancelled 55% of its short- and medium-haul flights and 10% of its long-haul flights.

The company could not rule out further delays and last-minute cancellations, it said in a statement.

Mamadou Souré had his flight to Milan cancelled Friday morning, but was able to book an afternoon flight to Turin.

"We'll see if we can make it to Milan from there," Souré added.

Other companies operating in France, including Ryanair, Easyjet and Volotea, have also cancelled flights.

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France's main union of air traffic controllers, the SNCTA, called the one-day strike to demand higher pay amid soaring inflation and ask for more staff to be hired in the coming years.