Strikers force dozens of flights to be scrapped

Ninety per cent of flights in and out of France will have to be cancelled as a result of a 32-hour strike by French air-traffic controllers that began last night, the Civil Aviation Authority has warned.

The strike, part of a wider protest by public employees in France, forced British Airways to cancel 10 flights yesterday and all of its scheduled flights in France today. Five of tomorrow's flights have also been suspended. Lufthansa said it was cancelling 70 flights over the same period.

The budget airline Buzz has cancelled all its flights to and from France scheduled for today, affecting 1,600 passengers. A spokeswoman for Ryanair warned its passengers in and out of France to expect delays and cancellations.

A spokesman for Gatwick airport said long-haul flights would not be affected. An Air France spokeswoman also said that most of its long-haul flights would be unaffected by the reduced number of air-traffic controllers. "There will be controllers controlling the skies. The quality and security of the flight is absolutely not a problem," she added.

The strike, co-ordinated by the Communist CGT union, adds to disruption being caused by other French public-sector workers today.