Air France to axe long-haul flights amid strike

French flag-carrier Air France warned it would cancel up to half of its long-haul flights Tuesday as employees pursued a strike against plans to require them to give 48 hours notice of a walk-out. After causing limited disruption on Monday, the four-day strike by pilots, flight attendants and airport staff picked up steam. Air France said it could guarantee only 50 percent of its long-haul flights on Tuesday and 70 percent of its short- and medium-haul flights, including those operated by regional subsidiaries. Early on Tuesday, a number of flights had been cancelled at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport, a global aviation hub, an AFP journalist said. At least nine were posted as cancelled, including flights to Milan, Algiers, Marseille and Sofia. Flight disruptions had been more limited on Monday, with Air France able to fly 85 percent of its long-haul flights and 75 percent of short- and medium-haul flights. Air France urged customers to postpone travel until after the strike and sent out more than 25,000 emails and mobile phone text messages to clients warning them their flight had been cancelled or delayed. Regional airports were also hit by delays and cancellations. The aviation workers voted on Friday to launch a nationwide strike from February 6 to February 9. The unions are protesting a draft law that will require aviation workers to individually give 48 hours notice prior to striking, saying this limits labour rights. The bill was approved by France's lower house last month and is due to be debated in the Senate. Labour leaders vowed the strike would gather support, with Yves Deshayes, the head of the SNPL pilots' union, saying "the mobilisation will reach a crescendo". The union said half of Air France pilots were on strike. The airline did not provide information on the percentage of employees participating in the strike. Transport Minister Thierry Mariani said on Monday that the government would not abandon the bill, which he said would protect passengers' rights. "We will go all the way. This is necessary and that is something the French people understand," he said on RTL radio.