A quarter of flights were canceled and two runways shut Thursday by a strike at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, the latest upheaval to hit the European transport industry struggling to meet higher demand for travel.
The walkout by a broad range of employees at the French capital’s international hub is also expected to cause delays for passengers whose flights weren’t scrapped, according to a spokeswoman. While the strike didn’t extend to Orly airport, some disruptions may also occur there, she said.
Air France scrapped 85 short and medium-haul flights Thursday due to the walkout, a spokesman said. The French arm of Air France-KLM is maintaining long-haul services, albeit with some scheduling changes.
French unions are holding a protest at the airport’s Terminal 2 to demand an immediate 300-euro pay raise, according to a statement. “Despite traffic and profits coming back, our work isn’t being compensated enough,” the unions said. “This is a question of social justice.”
The flights were canceled between 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. local time, with knock-on effects on services including baggage handling and security likely to last longer.