Air France cancels 55% of short, medium-haul flights Sept. 16 due to strike

PARIS (Reuters) – A strike by French air traffic controllers will cause Air France to operate only 45% of its short and medium-haul flights on Friday, Sept. 16, the airline said on Wednesday.

Air France also plans to operate 90% of its long-haul flights that day, the statement said.

France’s DGAC aviation authority said on Tuesday it had asked airlines to halve their flight schedules on Sept. 16, due to a planned strike by air traffic controllers.

Strikes across the aviation industry, including ground and cabin personnel seeking to have their salaries adjusted to increased living costs amid high inflation, caused severe disruptions to Europe’s summer traffic.

(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)