Air traffic controllers in France have ended a two-day strike that was supposed to run till the weekend but the good news ended there because Belgian air traffic has begun a series of two-hour walkouts over a 24-hour period.
The French strikes left thousands of passengers stranded due to severe delays and cancellations.
The strikers were protesting against planned cuts which are part of a European Commission plan, called Single Sky Europe, to reduce air navigation costs by organising airspace into blocks, according to traffic flows rather than national borders.
The French strike was blasted by airlines and trade groups, with the International Air Transport Association condemning "unions bent on stopping progress" at the height of the tourist season in France.
