French airport strikes cause holiday chaos Passengers booked on flights today have been urged to check with their airlines to ensure services were running on the second day of industrial action. British Airways was also among the airlines forced to cancel a number of flights, with its website showing 16 cancellations this morning, although it intends to operate a full schedule on Thursday. A spokesman for Glasgow Airport said a "couple" of Jet2.com flights to Malaga and Alicante were subject to delays of three to four hours. Delays of up to nine hours have been reported by passengers because of the dispute, which saw the number of movements across French airspace being cut by 50 per cent. According to the International Air Transport Association, which represents 241 scheduled carriers, the action saw 400,000 minutes of delays across Europe yesterday as flights were diverted onto alternative routes. The disruption is likely to worsen today when the strike spreads to Belgium, Slovakia and Hungary, where other members of the European Transport Workers Federation will join the action. Disgruntled passengers took to Twitter to air their frustration, with Colin McElwee writing that his flight from London to Barcelona had been cancelled after nine hours of delays. Another traveller Steve Blackburn wrote on the social networking site that today is his second day of trying to get to Barcelona for the MotoGP which starts on Friday, after his easyJet flight had been cancelled. You can get to Australia quicker! All down to French air traffic controllers," he wrote on Twitter. Sheila Phillips said she had been stuck on an easyJet plane, bound for Alicante in Spain, waiting on the tarmac at Bristol Airport on Wednesday morning for almost two hours, adding: "No sign of movement yet." There have been signs that passengers are switching to rail, according to a Eurostar spokesman. But with trains already very busy, travellers were urged to book before turning up at St Pancras station. Major ferry companies said they did have space available. One passenger, Felix Nugee, was among those trying to find alternative routes of getting home, writing on Twitter: "Flight home from Madrid cancelled due to strike by French air traffic control. Going home via ferry and spending £200 extra. The strikes were in protest against EU plans to liberalise civil airspace, with air traffic controllers concerned that plans for a "Single European Sky," aimed at cutting travel times and costs, would adversely affect their working conditions and result in job cuts. Tony Tyler, IATA's director general, accused the strikers of holding passengers hostage, saying: "Reducing delays, cutting emissions, and raising safety levels will create 320,000 jobs across Europe. Travel group Abta criticised the industrial action, saying: "We always think it is deeply regrettable turn to strike action as their first option in negotiations. It penalises holidaymakers. This led to withdrawal of some flights to Spain as well as France on Tuesday.