French air traffic to be cut by 50% on Sept. 16 over strikes, authority says

PARIS (Reuters) - France's DGAC aviation authority on Tuesday said it has asked airlines to halve their flight schedules on Friday, Sept. 16, due to a planned strike by air traffic controllers.

The cuts affect the whole of France, the DGAC said in a statement, adding that it was currently working with the European air travel regulator Eurocontrol to help airlines avoid the country's air space.

Strikes across the aviation industry, including ground and cabin personnel who seek to have their salaries adjusted to increased living costs amid high inflation caused severe disruptions to Europe's summer traffic.

In July, several strikes by firefighters and staff at the French capital's CDG hub led to cancellations and delays.

France's SNCTA air control union in a statement cited inflation and its demand to hire more people as the reasons for the walkout.

(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel, Editing by Dominique Vidalon)