New strike hits Italian flights

Air controllers want job security and contracts

A strike by Italian air traffic controllers has forced the cancellation of dozens of flights and disruption to many more.

The action over contract disputes comes only a week after a major strike by other European air traffic controllers brought chaos for tens of thousands of travellers.

In the latest strike, the Italian staff walked out for four hours from 1000GMT on Wednesday.

The air traffic controllers are demanding job security and the renewal of contracts which they have been denied since last year.

Air anger

National carrier Alitalia cancelled a total of 106 flights including 42 international ones, according to Italian reports.

More than 200 other flights had to be rescheduled.

Smaller carrier Meridiana also cancelled eight flights and rescheduled 21.

Foreign airlines including Air France, Lufthansa and British Airways were also being hit.

But two unions which had been planning to strike pulled out at the last minute after reaching a deal with the government.

Single Skies

Last week, nearly 10,000 people in Italy were unable to travel on scheduled flights after the country's air traffic controllers joined colleagues in France, Portugal, Greece and Hungary in a walk out.

They were protesting against the introduction of the Single Skies scheme - a European Commission project to bring airspace under a single authority.

Controllers believe the scheme will lead to job losses and privatisation, and could compromise safety standards - charges which the commission denies.