- Title: FRANCE: Flights hit by pension Sstrike
- Date: 8th September 2010
- Summary: ORLY, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 7, 2010) (REUTERS) ORLY AIRPORT CONTROL TOWER VARIOUS PASSENGERS LOOKING AT BOARDS VARIOUS INFORMATION SCREENS SHOWING CANCELLED FLIGHTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) GIOVANNI, PASSENGER, SAYING: "What is happening now? We need to strike against reforms and everything else happening at the moment. I agree completely." INSIDE TERMINAL (SOUNDBITE) (Frenc
- Embargoed: 23rd September 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France
- Country: France
- Topics: Domestic Politics,Transport
- Reuters ID: LVA38YN8WAWSFXGNE5J0O6E5A20Q
- Story Text: Up to one half of domestic flights departing from Orly, one of the main Paris airports, were expected to be cancelled on Monday (September 7) as a nationwide strike against plans to hike the pension age by two years to 62 brought travel chaos in France.
Air France KLM said that the strike by French air traffic controllers was forcing it to cancel half its domestic flights from Orly, but that all its long-haul services nationally would be maintained.
Nine out of 10 domestic and short-haul flights from the main Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris would also be maintained, it said.
But airport users weren't all against the movement.
"We need to strike against reforms and everything else happening at the moment. I agree completely," said one commuter.
"To take decisions like this without consulting anyone, that's not what I call a democracy. But we are in a democracy so if people take to the streets, they need to be heard," said another traveller about the French government.
In Paris, where many had decided to either take the day off or work from home, the streets were still clogged with traffic as commuters tried to get to work by car, on foot or bicycle. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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