Flights to Paris

Medium and short-haul flights from Paris are expected to be disrupted on Wednesday, when a strike by air traffic controllers goes into its second day, aviation authorities said on Tuesday.The DGAC civil aviation authority said it had asked operators to cancel 25 percent of flights from Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport and half the flights from Paris-Orly airport.

National carrier Air France said it expected to operate 100 percent of its long-haul services but only 75 percent of domestic and European flights from Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport and 50 percent from Paris-Orly airport.Unions called a five-day strike starting on Tuesday to protest against an accord on modernising air traffic control, signed by Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Unions fear the reforms will lead to layoffs.

Flights are expected to be disrupted until Saturday morning.Families with children waiting at the Paris airports for information about flight cancellations expressed anger, saying on television that they were being held hostage by the labour dispute.French unions are also protesting against budget cuts expected in 2010 and 2011 as part of a broader government effort to reduce spending.