French airports forced to cancel flights over new air traffic controllers strike

Flights will be cancelled at multiple airports across France on Monday after French air traffic control unions called for a walk out on Monday November 20th. France's Civil Aviation Authority, the DGAC, announced on Thursday that it had asked airlines to cancel 25% of flights at Paris-Orly, France's second largest airport, and Toulouse-Blagnac, due to strike action. Similarly, the airports of Bordeaux-Mérignac and Marseille-Provence will see 20% of flights cancelled, French media Franceinfo reported. Unions have called on air traffic controllers to walk out in protest of a new law, approved on Wednesday by the Assemblée Nationale, that would require them to individually declare 48 hours in advance whether or not they plan to strike. At present, air traffic control unions must give notice of strike action five days in advance, but striking workers do not have to declare their personal participation, unlike other employees in the sector, according to Le Figaro.<br/>