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Birmingham Airport flight fears as French air traffic controllers strike

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Hundreds of passengers hoping to fly to France from Birmingham this week will be braced for bad news after French air traffic controllers launched a six-day strike.

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At Birmingham Airport, where the majority of services to and from France are operated by Flybe and Air France, there are eight scheduled arrivals and departures.

Birmingham Airport management were not aware of any planned cancellations last night, but has warned travellers to check.

Spokesman David Lavender said: "Passengers are advised to check the status of their flight by visiting the Birmingham Airport website and to contact their airline directly for more information."

Flybe said it had been asked by the French aviation authorities to reduce its flying programme, cancelling a number of flights each day.

Andrew McConnell, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, said: "Before heading to the airport, Flybe passengers travelling to and from France are advised to check this website a regular basis throughout this six-day period to check on the status of individual flights. If your flight is cancelled you will be able to make a change or claim a refund using the online tool.

"If your flight is not cancelled, please continue to check in as normal but be prepared for the possibility of some disruption."

SNCTA and Unsa-ICNA, the two biggest air traffic control unions in France, have warned passengers of 'heavy disruption' just as the holiday season gets into swing.

But travellers will have to wait until almost the 11th hour to find out whether they are definitely affected by the strike, which continues until Sunday.

Airlines are offering early advice to passengers but last night were still struggling confirm which of the UK's 350 flights to France over the coming days will be cancelled.

Ryanair and easyJet have already axed more than 50 flights today (TUES) while British Airways has also cancelled three flights, from Heathrow to the French cities of Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse.

None of the 20-plus services axed by Ryanair or the 32 by easyJet are flights that connect with the UK, and easyJet, which had feared it would have to axe around half of its French-connecting services, was told yesterday by French air traffic control company DAGC that only one in five would have to be cancelled.

The airline said some UK-originating flights might be affected, while Ryanair also warned passengers that the strike could affect flights overflying France, adding: "We expect further flight delays and cancellations."

EasyJet said: "We are disappointed at this unnecessary strike action which has the potential to cause considerable disruption and cancellations for passengers and airlines across Europe.

"Despite the fact that this disruption is beyond easyJet's control we will do everything possible to minimise the inconvenience to our customers. We will proactively provide advice for our passengers through our website, text messages and flight tracker tool."