French air traffic controllers begin strike

Paris: French air traffic controllers have launched a strike that is expected to cancel many flights in and out of France on Wednesday.

France's civil aviation authority said it asked airlines to scrap 20 percent of flights Wednesday at Charles de Gaulle airport and 50 percent at the smaller Orly airport.

While the strike officially started Tuesday evening, major disruptions weren't expected until the following day. The protest is to end Thursday morning.

Unions of air traffic controllers are striking over a plan to unify European airspace. The Single European Sky concept is meant to ensure greater efficiency and deal with a projected increase in traffic, but French air traffic controllers are worried about how it will affect them.