A strike by French air traffic controllers caused the mass cancellation of flights at Orly airport south of Paris this morning.
Charles de Gaulle airport to the north of the capital was unaffected, but the national civil aviation agency (DGAC) said the strike over reorganisation of air traffic control could spread as the week went on.
The focus of the labour conflict is a plan to relocate more staff in the Roissy region where Charles de Gaulle airport is located, around 35 kilometres north of the capital.
About 40 per cent of Air France short-haul and medium distance flights in and out of Orly were grounded today, as well as a similar proportion of flights run by other airlines, media said.
The strike is due to last until Friday, widening beyond Orly tomorrow, according to DGAC.