Flights Grounded Due to French Strike

The latest strike by French air-traffic controllers has grounded hundreds of flights and is delaying many more—especially connecting the UK with Spain and Italy. The controllers are stopping work as part of a national strike by public sector workers in France.  Delays are building up across Europe. Eurocontrol in Brussels is warning of "high delays" at the air-traffic centers in Maastricht and Madrid "due to additional traffic refilling to avoid French strike," the Independent reported.  The west of France is particularly badly hit, with the control centers at Brest and Bordeaux very short-staffed. Marseille, which controls the southeastern quadrant of France and a large tranche of Mediterranean airspace, is also experiencing "high delays", according to Eurocontrol. The worst-affected airline appears to be Ryanair, which has grounded dozens of flights to and from France and many more which cross French airspace. Ryanair has canceled 44 flights to and from its main base, Stansted, affecting an estimated 8,000 passengers. On Wednesday and Thursday, rail workers in France will continue their series of 48-hour strikes in a dispute over plans for modernization and competition on the national network.