A joint strike by air traffic controllers in France, Greece, Italy, Hungary and Portugal caused massive travel disruption across Europe today, as the sector protested plans to create an EU-wide airspace.
Thousands of domestic and short-haul flights were cancelled while many others were delayed by hours.
However, virtually all long-haul international flights were unaffected.
The controllers were protesting controversial plans to create a unified airspace and single control for the skies above all 15 European Union countries, replacing the current system of national flight monitoring and guidance.
EU transport ministers met early this week to again weigh the idea, which they argue would increase the number of planes able to fly within Europe by solving problems of "saturation" in some countries.
But the Air Traffic Controllers European Unions Coordination, a federation of 13 air traffic controllers' unions which called Wednesday's strike, warns such a move would sacrifice safety for efficiency.
It also fears that the plan would lead to privatisation of the sector and job losses, despite denials from the ministers.
Air traffic controllers in France - the country with the biggest airspace in Western Europe and a throughpoint for many continental flights - led the strike.
Almost none turned up for work, cutting traffic at Paris's two airports to around 10 per cent of the 3,000 domestic and European flights that normally take place each day.
The strike was observed to a lesser extent in Greece, Italy, Hungary and Portugal, where air traffic control was shut down for between one and four hours.
Scores of flights were cancelled, particularly those going to France, while many others were delayed.
AFP