The powerful SNCTA union called the two-day strike, saying the government has refused to open negotiations about matters such as how to better organize their work schedules to account for downtime and more traffic.
The start of the walkout led to the cancellation of 40 percent of flights across France on Wednesday, and the French civil aviation agency called for the cancellation of 50 per cent of flights tomorrow due to staffing shortages.
Air France said long-haul flights were not affected, and guaranteed some 60 percent of medium-haul flights from and to Paris' main airport, Charles de Gaulle. The carrier said it would ground two of three flights at Paris' second-largest airport, Orly.
While the union isn't altogether opposed to that, it wants a study into the health effects of controllers working till age 59, Bertolissio said.
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He said many other countries in Europe generally allow for traffic controllers to retire at 55 or 56.
The strike caused passengers like Mathias Mourier, 24, who was trying to fly to his job in southern England as an au pair, to scramble for alternatives. He said he will be spending an extra couple of nights at his grandmother's house in the Paris region.
Jackie Knight, who was hoping to return home to Somerset, England, after a family visit to Disneyland Paris, said they were forced to connect through London, but was taking it in stride.
"Rather than being home at about 3 or 4 (p.M.), it will be in the evening but we'll get there," she said.