(CNN) – Hundreds of flights have been canceled and thousands of passengers forced to change their plans as French air traffic controllers took industrial action over pay on Friday.
Europe’s largest airline, Ryanair, suspended 420 of its flights across Europe as the 24-hour strike disrupted connections from airports across the continent. Rival low-cost airline EasyJet warned of serious delays and disruptions.
Members of France’s Syndicat National des Contrôleurs du Trafic Aérien (SNCTA), the country’s main traffic controllers union, began striking Friday at 6:00 a.m. Central European Time (12:00 a.m. ET). Knock-on disruptions are expected to last through Monday.
The union said it was calling the action after negotiations with the government over wage increases in line with inflation stalled.
“After several months of negotiations in order to obtain fair and adjusted answers, the SNCTA deplores … the lack of concrete elements and guarantees on the part of the authorities,” it said in a statement.
More delays
French aviation authorities warned that up to 50% of flights could be affected by the strike.
Horacio Villalobos/Corbis News/Corbis/Getty Images
Paris Aéroport, which owns and manages 14 civil airports and aerodromes in the Île-de-France (Paris) region, warned on Thursday to expect “significant” delays and cancellations in arrivals and departures.
Many flights over French airspace were also affected. Barcelona Airport’s departures board showed more than 50 delayed or canceled flights after midday on Friday. In Germany, Hamburg Airport said 48 out of 251 flights on the day had been canceled by midday local time and more delays and cancellations were possible.
Earlier in the week, France’s Directorate-General for Civil Aviation warned that up to 50% of the country’s flights could be affected, urging passengers to contact airlines and postpone the trip.
The SNCTA has announced that a strike planned for September 28 could go ahead.
Disruptions were also expected on Monday as London’s Heathrow Airport said some flights would be canceled or delayed to keep airspace still during events marking Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
CNN’s Arnaud Siad and Peter Taggart contributed to this story.